Formulation of β-carotene with soybean lecithin by PGSS (Particles from Gas Saturated Solutions)-drying

The application of β-carotene as a natural colourant in food and nutraceutical products requires an appropriate formulation in order to protect the active compound from degradation and overcome the low bioavailability due to a low solubility in aqueous media. Liposomes as carriers for β-carotene can enhance their release to the organism and improve their preservation. In this work, β-carotene has been encapsulated in soybean lecithin using the novel PGSS (Particles from Gas Saturated Solutions)-drying technique. An experimental study of the influence of the main process parameters (pressure, temperature, gas to product ratio and concentration of carrier material) has been carried out. Dry particles of 10–500 μm, constituted by fused spherical particles of less than 10 μm, have been obtained, with β-carotene encapsulation efficiencies up to 60%. By hydration of these particles, β-carotene-loaded multilamellar liposomes of 1–5 μm have been obtained.