Abstract:To explore the absorption efficiency of pomelo peel protein-tea polyphenol nanoparticles (PP-TPNs) in vivo and elucidate potential food industry applications, the effects of PP-TPNs on cell viability, transepithelial electrical resistance, and alkaline phosphatase activity were evaluated using a Caco-2 cell monolayer model. PP-TPNs were also added to pomelo juice, carbonated beverages, and milk to determine their impacts on beverages by measuring color differences and polyphenol retention rates. At 400 μg/mL, unloaded nanoparticles and PP-TPNs both exhibit good biocompatibility, and respective cell viability rates are 88.83% and 84.27%. The respective unidirectional transport rates of PP-TPNs across a Caco-2 cell monolayer are 41.72% and 32.91%, and the bidirectional transport coefficient is 1.60. Application experiments indicate that after storage at 4 ℃ for 30 days, the respective polyphenol retention rates in pomelo juice and carbonated beverages with added PP-TPN are 82.42% and 79.62%. After heating at 95 ℃ for 1 h, the polyphenol retention rate in protein beverages with PP-TPNs remains at 91.89%. These studies indicate that PP-TPNs can easily be absorbed in the small intestine, primarily through active transport. PP-TPNs can also remain stable in beverages under adverse conditions such as high temperatures and light exposure. These findings provide a basis for further research on the absorption mechanism of PP-TPNs in the gut and offer insights to guide related application research.
