Synthesis and characterization of fucoidan/chitosan-coated nanoliposomes for enhanced stability and oral bioavailability of hydrophilic catechin and hydrophobic juglone

This study aimed to improve the thermodynamic performance of nanoliposomes (NLs) using fucoidan (F) as the second-layer coating biopolymer along with chitosan (CS), to control the delivery and bioavailability of catechin (C) and juglone (J). The stabilized liposomal carrier of F/CS-conjugated JC-NL (F-CS-JC-NL) was developed with optimum concentrations of CS (0.09 wt%) and F (0.10 wt%), with the highest encapsulation efficiency of juglone (95.47%) and catechin (90.88%). Physicochemical characterization revealed that F-CS-JC-NL disclosed improved stability under different pH and ionic strengths, with the maximum juglone/catechin retention under thermal, oxidative and storage conditions. In vitro digestion revealed that NL double-coating (F-CS-JC-NL) significantly reduced compound leakage in the gastrointestinal tract, providing a controlled release and better bioavailability of juglone/catechin compared to CS-JC-NL and JC-NL. Conclusively, this study provides a novel NL-based delivery carrier with enhanced physicochemical stability and controlled release that might have promising use in delivering functional ingredients.