Application of nanoencapsulated coenzyme Q10 as an ingredient for the food industry: technological feasibility and bioaccessibility of the bioactive in yogurts

Abstract

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant compound produced by the human body, which has fundamental activities in several biochemical processes, including cellular respiration. The body's ability to produce this substance, however, is reduced with aging, requiring a regular intake of CoQ10 through supplements or fortified foods. Although the behavior of CoQ10 in supplements is well known, the incorporation of this bioactive in food matrices is still a challenge due to its low solubility and bioaccessibility. It is known, however, that such disadvantages can be reduced with the encapsulation of this bioactive in lipid systems, including nanoemulsions. In this context, Yosen, a Brazilian start up specialized in nanostructured lipid delivery systems, developed a formulation based on nanoemulsion containing coenzyme Q10 (identified in this document as NEQ10), which has an excellent physicochemical stability and high water solubility/dispersibility. Given the high nutritional value of CoQ10 and the food industry's interest in developing functional products, Yosen has a great interest in introducing NEQ10 as an ingredient for food formulations, starting with suggesting applications in dairy products. In this context, in a previous study, the effects of incorporating NEQ10 on the physicochemical properties and stability of commercial yoghurts was evaluated and the results obtained were very promising (as presented a document attached to this proposal). Although the data obtained are interesting, it is known that the incorporation of nanostructured lipid delivery systems in food products (especially with gel texture, as the yogurts) can change their rheological properties and affect their acceptance by the consumers. Furthermore, and very importantly, it is known that the presence of bioactives, such as CoQ10, in food formulations does not guarantee the bioaccessibility of the compound after the digestion process. For this reason, to verify the possible nutritional gains involved in the incorporation of NEQ10 to yogurts, the present PIPE project aims to evaluate the incorporation of such nanoemulsion to yogurts and evaluate the bioaccessibility of the encapsulated compound to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of the product .For this, four main activities will be developed throughout this PIPE project - phase I: (I) Rheological analysis (flow curves) of yogurts throughout a storage period (previous results - see attached document); (II) Coenzyme Q10 quantification in the nanoemulsion samples produced by Yosen, throughout a storage period; (III) Quantification of coenzyme Q10 in yoghurt formulations throughout a storage period; (IV) Assays for the determination of bioaccessibility (BA) of coenzyme Q10 in yoghurts, through in vitro digestion assays. At the end of the project, it is expected: (a) to verify and quantify possible rheological changes in yoghurts, resulting from the incorporation of different concentrations of nanoencapsulated coenzyme Q10; (b) verify the existence of changes in the stability of nanoencapsulated coenzyme Q10 after its incorporation into yogurts; (c) evaluate the stability of nanoencapsulated coenzyme Q10 throughout the simulated digestive process, throughout the storage period. Thus, the results should help to understand the bioaccessibility of such bioactive and eventual nutritional gains involved in the inclusion of Yosen nanoencapsulated in yogurt formulations. (AU)