Encapsulation of antioxidant beta-carotene by cyclodextrin complex electrospun nanofibers: Solubilization and stabilization of beta-carotene by cyclodextrins

Carotenoids act as effective antioxidant defense systems in humans as they scavenge molecular oxygen and peroxyl radicals. However, their poor water solubility and being susceptible to degradation driven by light and oxygen hinder their bioactivity, therefore, they should be stabilized by host matrices against oxidation. Here, beta-carotene was encapsulated in electrospun cyclodextrin (CD) nanofibers to increase its water-solubility and photostability to enhance its antioxidant bioactivity. beta-carotene/CD complex aqueous solutions were electrospun into nanofibers. The bead-free morphology of the beta-carotene/CD nanofibers was confirmed by SEM. The formation of beta-carotene/CD complexes was explored through computational modeling and experimentally by FTIR, XRD and solubility tests. The antioxidant activity of the fibers exposed to UV irradiation was demonstrated via a free radical scavenger assay, where beta-carotene/CD nanofibers revealed protection against UV radiation. Overall, this work reports the water-borne electrospinning of antioxidant beta-carotene/CD inclusion complex nanofibers, which stabilize the encapsulated beta-carotene against UV-mediated oxidation.