Bioavailability of Curcumin Encapsulated in Yeast Cells Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

The development of a new food systems generation with the declared functional properties and efficiency is impossible without a scientifically based food system development and test at the preclinical assessment stage. Thus, there is a need in searching simple and inexpensive technological solutions developed to modify biologically active substances in order to deliver it to human body systems efficiently. The research aims at studying the possibility of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells use to encapsulate the plant antioxidant curcumin and this approach impact on bioavailability and antioxidant properties preservation in an in vitro digestion model. The study used commercially available Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast; curcumin from Nanjing Duly Biotech Co., Ltd. (China). The researchers encapsulated curcumin in nanostructured form. The nanostructuring process using an immersion-type ultrasonic device enabled changing the dispersed curcumin particles composition and morphology. The encapsulation technology of curcumin in yeast cells included mechanical mixing of components in a ratio of 3:1 (yeast – curcumin) at a temperature of 28 °C for 24 hours. A man monitored the process after 12 and 24 hours; determined the potential bioavailability and bioactivity of curcumin in its initial form and its encapsulated complex using an in vitro digestion model. As a research result, yeast cells are able to act as a “delivery system” of curcumin in the circumstances of its pre-nanostructuring. Potential bioavailability and bioactivity analysis of the plant antioxidant in the in vitro digestion model demonstrated that the encapsulation technology in yeast cells enabled an increase in the bioavailability index of curcumin by 1.34 times, and the bioactivity index by 1.225 times compared to its non-encapsulated form. To obtain a higher level of bioavailability and bioactivity, a man has to develop technologies to increase the curcumin encapsulation efficiency in yeast cells forming the basis of future research.