Development of Nanoemulsion Preconcentrate of Capsanthin with Improved Chemical Stability

Capsanthin, like other carotenoids, exhibits poor aqueous solubility, poor stability, and low/variable oral bioavailability that limit its utility as a nutraceutical. In this study, we describe the development of anhydrous nanoemulsion preconcentrate of capsanthin, which upon dilution with water, spontaneously forms nanoemulsion resulting in improved solubility of capsanthin without compromising its chemical stability and antioxidant activity. We chose Food and Drug Administration-approved ingredients to develop capsanthin nanoemulsion preconcentrates. The optimized capsanthin nanoemulsion preconcentrate, upon dilution with water or buffers, yielded the nanoemulsion with size <50 nm and showed ∼8-fold higher capsanthin release in 1 h in 0.1 N HCl in vitro compared with pristine capsanthin. The 3-month stability studies at 25°C on the capsanthin nanoemulsion preconcentrate showed that capsanthin retained the physical and chemical stability with no alteration in antioxidant activity indicating that nanoemulsion preconcentrate can be used to effectively deliver capsanthin for health benefits.