Effect of chitosan coating on the properties of nanoliposomes loaded with flaxseed-peptide fractions: Stability during spray-drying

In this study, production of peptide fractions with different molecular weights (10, 30, and 100 KDa) from flaxseed hydrolysates was investigated. The peptide-fraction with lowest MW (10 KDa) showed the highest antioxidant activity (AA); therefore, selected and loaded into nanoliposomes. Then, the effect of chitosan coating (0.1-0.8% w/v) on the physicochemical features, stability, and release rate of loaded nanoliposomes was assessed. Nanoliposomes coated with 0.4% chitosan exhibited a higher physical stability and encapsulation efficiency (EE) compared with other samples. Then, stabilization of uncoated/coated nanoliposomes by spraydrying within the maltodextrin matrix was investigated. FTIR results indicated incorporation of peptides into the polar and non-polar regions of vesicles and formation of the hydrogen bonds with phosphatidylcholine. Chitosan coating significantly enhanced the physical stability, EE, and AA retention of nanoliposomes after powder reconstitution process by increasing the bilayer membrane rigidity against the dehydration tension and decreasing the leakage of loaded peptides.