FOLIC ACID ENCAPSULATION IN A CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE MATRIX: EVALUATION OF ITS BIOAVAILABILITY USING THE CELLULAR MODEL CACO-2

JIMENA H.MARTINEZ; OSCAR E. PEREZ; MARCOS PALAVECINO; FLORENCIA TARSIA

Congreso; LXII REUNIÓN ANUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INVESTIGACIÓN CLÍNICA (SAIC); 2017

Folic Acid (FA) is a water soluble vitamin belonging to thevitamin B complex. FA is particularly sensitive to the acidic pH of thestomach and this leads to a low bioavailability in the small intestineepithelium. Due this, new approaches for improving FA bioavailability and stability are required. In this study we proposed that FA canbe encapsulated into a carboxymethyl cellulose matrix (CMC), aninnocuous polysaccharide, which can behave as dietary fber. Thisstrategy could allow a controlled release of FA in the small intestinecells. Here, we characterized the physical-chemistry interaction between CMC and FA, and the effect of this complex on an intestinalmodel, using the differentiated cell line Caco-2. Firstly, CMC-FA wascharacterized using fluorescence and Infrared spectrometry (IR).Fluorescence spectra showed an increased in the polysaccharide signal in response to increased FA concentration. On the otherhand, IR spectra showed an increased in the carbonyl group signalof the CMC in response to FA concentration. Taken together, theseresults suggest that both compounds interact. The cell line Caco-2can differentiate to enterocytes and emulate the physiological conditions of nutrient absorption in intestinal epithelium. Using a Transwell system we assessed the transport capacity of encapsulated FA.Finally, the effect of CMC-FA complexes was assessed by viability(**p0.05 CMC-AF vs control, n=3; OneWay ANOVA, LDH and MTT assays) and fluorescence microscopyassays. Our results showed that the complex does not affect cell viability neither the integrity of the differentiated cell monolayer. Theseresults are promising for understanding the possibility of encapsulating and protecting the FA from injurious conditions in the body.In addition, this complex does not produce cytotoxic effects in ourcellular model, proposing it as a possible application of these complexes for increasing the bioavailability of folic acid.