October 7/Engineering Business Journal -- According to recent research from Shanghai, People's Republic of China, "Lutein was nano-encapsuled with hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate (HPMCP) to maintain its bioactivity and to avoid thermal/light degradation. Supercritical antisolvent precipitation was applied to prepare lutein/HPMCP nano-capsule."

"The effects of several operating parameters on the yield, lutein loading, encapsulation efficiency, particle size and particle size distribution of the nanocapsule were investigated. The mean diameter of nanocapsules ranged from 163nm to 219nm under appropriate experimental conditions. The result of scanning electron microscope showed that the nanocapsules were nearly spherical. The highest yield reached 95.35% when the initial concentration of lutein was saturated. The highest lutein loading of 15.80% and encapsulation efficiency of 88.41% were obtained under the conditions of 11 MPa, 40 degrees C and C-HPMCP : C-lutein = 5:1," wrote H.Y. Jin and colleagues, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The researchers concluded, "The results may promote the application of lutein in food industry."

Jin and colleagues published their study in Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering ("Nanoencapsulation of Lutein with Hydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose Phthalate by Supercritical Antisolvent." Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2009;17(4):672-677).

For additional information, contact Y.P. Zhao, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School Chemical & Chemical Engineering, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China.

From the October 12, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition