Development of Intestine-Targeted Microcapsules for Enhanced Delivery of Fucoxanthin: A Strategy to Mitigate Lipid Accumulation In Vitro and In Vivo

The development of intestine-targeted microcapsules using spray drying without maltodextrin is still a challenge. Herein, intestine-targeted fucoxanthin-loaded microcapsules (Fx-MIC) were developed using the spray drying method. The microcapsules were formed by homogenizing fucoxanthin/conjugated linoleic acid (Fx/CLA) and whey protein isolate/Arabic gum (WPI/AG) mixture, followed by spray drying without maltodextrin. The effect of the ratio of Fx/CLA to WPI/AG in Fx-MIC on their morphology and encapsulation efficiency was evaluated. An Fx/CLA-to-WPI/AG ratio of 1:3 yielded a uniform particle size and the highest encapsulation efficiency (91.11%). In vitro simulated digestion demonstrated that Fx-MIC effectively protected Fx from premature release in the stomach and exhibited a release efficiency of 66.08% in the intestine. The digestion product of Fx-MIC effectively inhibited 3T3-L1 cell differentiation and lipid accumulation, demonstrating its ability to reduce lipid accumulation in vitro. Moreover, in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice, Fx-MIC exhibited significant reductions in body weight, liver weight, and fat mass. Additionally, Fx-MIC demonstrated notable effects on lowering blood lipid levels and mitigating liver damage. In conclusion, the use of Fx-MIC facilitated the targeted release of Fx, thereby enhancing its anti-obesity effects. This promising result suggests potential applications of Fx-MIC in the food industry.