Improved in vitro digestion stability of (−)-epigallocatechin gallate through nanoliposome encapsulation

(−)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is unstable and degraded in near-neutral or alkaline fluids. To overcome its limitation, EGCG nanoliposome (EN) was prepared by an ethanol injection method combined with dynamic high-pressure microfluidization. EN possessed good physicochemical characterizations (high entrapment efficiency = 92.1%, small average particle size = 71.7 nm, low polydispersity index = 0.286 and zeta potential = − 10.81 mv). EN exhibited a relative good sustained release property. Stability of EGCG in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) was significantly improved by nanoliposome encapsulation. After 1.5 h incubating in SIF without or with pancreatin, the residual EGCG of EN was 31.2% and 47.7% respectively, but the residual EGCG in EGCG solution was only 3.4% and 3.5% respectively. The degenerations of in vitro antioxidant activities of EGCG were effectively slowed by nanoliposome encapsulation. This study expects to provide theories and practice guides for further applications of EN.