Development and performance evaluation of amorphous microencapsules containing lutein nanoparticles via antisolvent precipitation followed by spray/freeze‐drying

Summary This study developed nano‐sized lutein‐loaded solid microcapsules using antisolvent precipitation followed by spray/freeze‐drying methods to improve chemical stability and dissolution efficiency. In antisolvent precipitation, lutein nanosuspensions with a particle size of 201.1 ± 4.3 nm were obtained with maltodextrin–Tween 80 as combined stabilisers. The effects of two drying methods on the performance characteristics of the microencapsulated powders were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses revealed the amorphous state of lutein and potential hydrogen bond interactions in the solid microcapsules. Stability testing showed that microencapsulation greatly reduced lutein loss (>80% plateau retention value (RV)) and retained the product colour (<1.5 ΔC ) during long‐term storage. The release behaviour of lutein in the microencapsulated powder was evaluated via dissolution studies, which indicated that the spray‐dried microcapsules displayed faster and more complete dissolution behaviour (>90% within 10 min). In conclusion, an amorphous nanoparticle strategy based on antisolvent precipitation and spray‐drying can be utilised to obtain commercially available lutein formulations with high stability and fast release.