Nanostructured lipid carriers for the encapsulation of phloretin: preparation and in vitro characterization studies

Phloretin is a powerful antioxidant with many effects, such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, promoting cell renewal, delaying aging and so on. However, the application of phloretin was limited by its low water solubility, low absorption in vivo and unstable properties. A phloretin-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier was designed with a high-pressure homogenization technique. The mean particle size of phloretin NLC was 137.40 ± 3.27 nm, and the Polydispersity index (PdI) value was 0.237 ± 0.005. The encapsulation efficiency was 96.68% ± 0.06%. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the phloretin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers were spherical. Phloretin in NLC showed a sustained release pattern in vitro. The results showed that phloretin NLC is more suitable for absorption than phloretin ethanol solution, and NLC can be a promising carrier for phloretin in the food industry.