Pulsed ultrasonic-assisted nanoliposomes co-encapsulating maize peptide and β-carotene: Structural alterations for enhanced activity and stability

Currently, the efficient co-encapsulation of different bioactives remains a challenge. To enhance the activity and stability of encapsulation systems and reduce energy consumption, this study employed pulsed ultrasonic treatment (PUT) to prepare a nanoliposome system and evaluated its effects by combining molecular simulation and experiments. Results showed that treatment with a 15/5 s pulse ratio for 9 min significantly improved the activity (38.25%) and co-encapsulation efficiency of β-carotene (βC) and maize peptide (MP) (66.75% and 60.38%), while reducing energy consumption by 25%. Molecular insights revealed that PUT induced structural relaxation of MP, thereby enhancing its binding with βC and liposomes (by 11.73%) and consequently improving co-encapsulation. This method also significantly enhanced the stability under high temperature, oxidation, and light. This research elucidated the molecular mechanism by which PUT promoted encapsulation, offering a promising approach for the efficient and low-energy co-encapsulation of bioactives, while also contributing to enhanced activity and stability.