High oleic sunflower oil and fully hydrogenated soybean oil nanostructured lipid carriers: Development and characterization

Lipid-based nanoparticles are among the most promising encapsulation technologies in the field of nanotechnology. As one of the main trends in the development of these structures, the use of edible and/or commercially available oils and fats in the food industry stands out, replacing synthetic lipid matrices, which are not as viable for food applications in terms of cost, availability, or regulatory aspects. The objective of this work was to obtain and characterize nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) using fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSO) and high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) as lipid matrices. NLC were formulated from different lipid systems, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, and 20:80 FHSO:HOSO (w/w), using soy lecithin (SL), Tween 80, or whey protein isolate (WPI) as an emulsifier. The increase in the unsaturation degree of the FHSO:HOSO lipid system resulted in larger NLC when obtained with Tween 80 or SL, greater physical instability, and lower peak temperature and melting enthalpy. The increase in the unsaturation degree, however, did not change the polymorphic shape of NLC, which stabilized in the β form 48 h after their obtainment. Among the considered lipid systems, 80:20, 60:40, and 40:60 FHSO:HOSO (w/w) systems form stable particles, with crystallinity properties suitable for food incorporation.