Scientists engineered casein-polyethylene glycol hydrogels using UV-induced crosslinking, achieving 96.31% resveratrol encapsulation efficiency with 86% retention during storage. The optimized 10% casein formulation demonstrated a sixfold increase in structural stability and 18-second rapid gelation, while maintaining 27% higher antioxidant activity compared to conventional delivery systems. This breakthrough addresses a fundamental challenge in nutraceutical delivery: resveratrol's notorious instability and poor bioavailability have long limited its therapeutic potential despite promising longevity research. Traditional encapsulation methods typically achieve far lower loading efficiencies and suffer from premature degradation. The photo-crosslinked network creates protective microenvironments that shield resveratrol from oxidative damage while enabling controlled release. This technology could transform how we deliver sensitive polyphenols, potentially making resveratrol supplementation more effective for cardiovascular health and cellular aging pathways. However, the research remains at the materials science stage—human bioavailability studies are essential to validate whether these impressive in vitro improvements translate to enhanced therapeutic outcomes. The work represents incremental but significant progress toward solving resveratrol's delivery problem.
Photo-Crosslinked Casein Gels Achieve 96% Resveratrol Encapsulation Efficiency
📄 Based on research published in International journal of biological macromolecules
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