Influence of lysolecithin and Tween 80 on the colloidal stability of branched chain amino acids in a nanosuspension system

- High pressure homogenization alone increased the initial BCAA solubility.
- pH is main factor affecting the long-term solubility of nanosuspended BCAAs.
- The incorporation of stabilizers increased the saturation concentration of BCAAs.
- Stabilizers affected the colloidal stability of BCAA nanosuspensions.
- BCAA:stabilizer ratio did not affect the solubility and the colloidal stability.

This study examined the influence of stabilizers on the solubility and colloidal stability of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) nanosuspended through high pressure homogenization at 70 °C. Although homogenization increased the initial BCAA solubility, irrespective of pH (pH 3 or 6), homogenization alone was not sufficient to increase their long-term solubility. The incorporation of stabilizers into nanosuspensions increased the saturation concentration of BCAAs but the effect of stabilizers on the increase in the saturation concentration of BCAAs was more pronounced at pH 6.0. At pH 6, Tween 80 dramatically increased the colloidal stability of the BCAA nanosuspensions, independent of the BCAA:stabilizer ratio but not at pH 3. However, the effect of lysolecithin on the colloidal stability of nanosuspended BCAAs varied depending on pH and BCAA:lysolecithin ratio. In lysolecithin-related nanosuspensions, there was no clear relationship between the colloidal stability and nanosuspension conditions including pH and BCAA:lysolecithin ratio. This study could provide a useful information on stabilizer selection for the development of liquid or colloidal products with improved solubility and colloidal stability of nanosuspended BCAAs.