Mechanistic insight into the sensory acceptance of coconut water drinks fortified with α-tocopherol/tocotrienol in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) in an immersive beach-like setting

• Enhanced Stability of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLCs): The NLCs encapsulating α-tocopherol and tocotrienol exhibited excellent physicochemical stability, maintaining a consistent pH (∼5.0) and free fatty acid content (∼0.2%) over a 28-day storage period. • Optimized Sensory and Consumer Acceptance: Coconut water formulated with 0.5% NLC concentration achieved the highest consumer acceptance score (6.88 ± 1.72) while demonstrating minimal sensory differences from the control, highlighting its suitability for consumer-friendly functional beverage applications. • Innovative Use of Immersive Virtual Reality (VR): The VR-simulated beach setting enhanced the sensory evaluation process, boosting consumer perception and increasing the willingness-to-buy score (1.9 ± 0.75), showcasing the potential of immersive environments in food product evaluation and marketing. Vitamin E, comprising α-tocopherol and tocotrienol, is a potent antioxidant that cannot be synthesized by the human body and is highly susceptible to oxidation. To address this limitation, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) were employed as a delivery system to encapsulate these compounds for food applications. This study evaluates the sensory acceptance of coconut water fortified with α-tocopherol and tocotrienols encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), assessed in an immersive virtual reality (VR) beach-like setting to determine consumer acceptance. NLC was prepared via ultrasonication and analyzed for physicochemical stability over 28 days of storage. Coconut water was formulated with varying NLC concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) and evaluated for sensory differences and consumer acceptance. The results demonstrated that stable pH of approximately 5 and free fatty acid (FFA) content below 0.2% throughout the storage period, ensuring product stability. Sensory evaluation using a 9-point hedonic scale showed that coconut water fortified with 0.5% NLCs achieved a consumer acceptance score of (6.88 ± 0.19), comparable to the control, with minimal sensory differences. The VR-based beach setting significantly enhanced the sensory experience, as reflected by a willingness-to-buy score of 1.9 ± 0.7 on a 5-point scale (1 = definitely would buy, 5 = definitely would not buy), indicating a high purchase intention among consumers. This study demonstrates the novel application of NLCs for fortifying beverages with α-tocopherol and tocotrienol while leveraging immersive sensory environments to enhance consumer perception. These findings provide insights into nanostructured food systems sensory science and technological potential for functional beverage development.