Nanostructured lipid carrier developed with propolis wax residues

BAÜMLER ERICA; KREPPER GABRIELA; CENTURIÓN MARÍA E.

Conferencia; ICPR - Americas 2020; 2020

Propolis is widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries because of their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity [1]. When the content of propolis wax is major than 40%, which is the maximum limit established by the Argentine legislation, raw propolis is considered as low quality and usually discarded [2]. However, propolis wax also has plenty of properties to be exploited in several fields of science and technology. Propolis wax exhibits similar composition and physicochemical properties to bee wax, is stable over time, solid at room temperature, insoluble in water, resistant to hydrolysis, and natural oxidization [3]. Due to its polyphenols content, about 2.4-5%, propolis wax also has antioxidant and antimicrobial activity [4]. Quercetin (3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) is a potent antioxidant flavonoid well known because of its health benefits as a neuroprotective, antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer agent, antihypertensive, vasodilator, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergy [5]. Therefore, quercetin has been used as a nutritional supplement or added to food and beverages. However, the limitation of quercetin incorporation into foods is its degradation when it is exposed to high temperature, oxygen or light, and its poor solubility [6]. Lipid-based nanocarriers, such as nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are solid lipid nanoparticles composed of a mixture of solid and liquid lipids, used as a nutritional supplement carrier in the food industry [7]. NLCs have the advantage to be loaded with hydrophilic or hydrophobic compounds with high loading capacity and a minimized expulsion during storage [8]. Thus, the incorporation into NLCs of poor water-soluble bioactive compounds such as oil-soluble vitamins, carotenoids or flavonoids, increases their stability and bioavailability in foods [9]. The uses of natural biomaterials were studied in the last years for lipid-based nanocarriers development. The aim of this work is to develop quercetin loaded NLCs from propolis wax residues, in order to improve the bioavailability and stability of quercetin into foods. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that this add value to low quality propolis with high wax content.