β-Carotene-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers produced by solvent displacement method

• Lipid nanoparticles with tristearin and high oleic sunflower oil were produced.
• Solvent displacement method generated particles in nanometric range.
• High sunflower oil content generated particles with less-organized lipid matrix.
• β-carotene incorporation was enhanced for high sunflower oil content.
• Degradation of incorporated β-carotene was lower for high sunflower oil content.

Tristearin solid lipid nanoparticles and tristearin/high oleic sunflower oil nanostructured lipid carriers were produced by solvent displacement method. All conditions allowed forming polydisperse particles within nanometric range and the presence of high oleic sunflower oil did not affect the particles mean size. Nevertheless, incorporation of β-carotene reduced the particles polydispersity. Thermograms of solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers showed that sunflower oil generated a crystal order disturbance, since nanoparticles with less-organized lipid matrix were produced. Nanostructured lipid carriers exhibited an improvement of β-carotene loading capacity when compared with solid lipid nanoparticles, which enhanced with the increasing of high oleic sunflower oil content. Although total β-carotene degradation was similar for all systems, color analysis showed that the degradation of encapsulated β-carotene was lower for high sunflower oil content. Nanostructured lipid carriers exhibited advantages over the solid lipid nanoparticles, such as enhanced drug loading capacity and prevention of drug expulsion, which makes this a versatile delivery system for food applications.

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