Co-Encapsulation of Lycopene and Resveratrol in Polymeric Nanoparticles: Morphology and Lycopene Stability

Lycopene and resveratrol are well-known for their high bioactivity, anti-inflammatory effects, and strong antioxidant properties. The combination of lycopene and resveratrol was synergistic in the potentializing immunity of the mammal body. In this study, the scalable co-encapsulation of lycopene and resveratrol into polymeric nanoparticles was performed using lycopene extracted from ripe gac fruit. These nanoparticles exhibited excellent water dispersion and spherical morphology with average particle diameters of 66.102 nm. The particle size was proportional to the lycopene/resveratrol ratio. The combinative use of lecithin and Tween® as surfactants and the use of a polylactide-polyethylene glycol copolymer as an encapsulation agent generated well-defined lycopene/resveratrol nanoparticles although the total content of these active compounds reached 12%. The stability of lycopene was enhanced when combined with resveratrol and antioxidants such as vitamin E and butylated hydroxytoluene. After 3 months of storage at −16 °C, the lycopene content in the lycopene/resveratrol nanopowder remained at ∼95%.