Influence of mandarin fiber addition on physico-chemical properties of nanoemulsions containing β-carotene under simulated gastrointestinal digestion conditions

- Mandarin fiber was used to stabilize the nanoemulsions.
- Physicochemical properties during the in vitro digestion were also determined.
- Impact of mandarin fiber on lipid digestibility was determined.
- β-carotene bioaccessibility increased as mandarin fiber was added (≤1 g/100 g).

There is a lack of knowledge about how soluble fiber used as stabilizer may influence physicochemical properties of nanoemulsions during the lipid digestion process. In this study, different concentrations of mandarin fiber (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 g/100 g) were added to nanoemulsions containing oil enriched with β-carotene (4 g/100 g emulsion) and tween 20 (1.5 g/100 g emulsion). As nanoemulsions were subjected to the different phases of an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT), its particle size was gradually increased. Furthermore, the higher the mandarin fiber content in the nanoemulsion, the greater the particle size. Nanoemulsions containing concentrations of mandarin fiber over 1.5 g/100 g showed the lowest ζ-potential, meaning that the droplets may become unstable and were likely to aggregate. Besides, adding until 1 g of mandarin fiber/100 g was effective to enhance bioaccessibility of the β-carotene incorporated in nanoemulsions. The present study provides valuable information on the phenomenology of incorporating mandarin fiber within β-carotene enriched nanoemulsions.

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