The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of alginate as a vehicle to protect coenzyme Q10 in liposomes.
Encapsulation efficiency and stability were conducted at varying temperatures (20, 30, 40°C) for 5 d and at exposure to simulated gastric conditions (pH 2) for 2 h. The content of coenzyme Q10 was determined using HPLC (LC/MS). Cytotoxicity and phagocytosis of mouse macrophages (RAW264.7) was determined.
Results showed that thermostability was strongly improved by alginate complex formation with liposomes. Moreover, alginate could maintain coenzyme Q10 at a significantly higher level in simulated gastric pH for at least 2 h (p<0.00).
This allowed a higher amount of coenzyme Q10 remaining to be absorbed in the small intestine. Alginate not only showed no toxic effect on mouse macrophages but also activated their proliferation and phagocytosis ability.
As a consequence, alginate could be applied as an aid to encapsulation stability and immunostimulating potency.
