Dual-Loaded Quercetin–Resveratrol Niosomes: Sustained In Vitro Release and Retained Bioactivity in Hummus During Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion

Quercetin (QUE) and resveratrol (RES) have complementary bioactivities but limited aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability. This study developed dual-loaded quercetin–resveratrol niosomes (QR-NIOs) for incorporation into hummus and screened quercetin:resveratrol molar ratios using antioxidant, erythroprotective, and enzyme-inhibition assays. The 50:50 formulation showed the broadest activity profile and produced vesicles with 90.63 ± 3.63% overall encapsulation efficiency, 149 ± 13 nm diameter, 0.21 ± 0.02 polydispersity index, and −34 ± 2 mV ζ-potential. After 24 h, dialysis passage was 51.63%, compared with 80.35% for the unencapsulated mixture. Following simulated intestinal digestion, enriched hummus yielded 5.8 milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry weight (mg GAE/g D.W.) and 4.7 milligrams of quercetin equivalents per gram of dry weight (mg QE/g D.W.) in the dialyzable phenolic and flavonoid fractions, respectively, exceeding both controls while retaining antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory activities. Over 28 days at 4 °C, microbial counts remained below detection limits and the tested pathogens were absent. Overall acceptability (8.23/9) did not differ significantly from commercial hummus. QR-NIO-enriched hummus represents a sensory-compatible functional-food prototype with sustained apparent release and increased intestinal recovery of assay-reactive phenolic and flavonoid compounds; compound-specific and in vivo validation remains necessary.