Next-Generation Nutrient Delivery: Physicochemical Insights into Multicomponent Liposomes

Innovative food-grade lipid-based formulations incorporating multicomponent nutrients: vitamin C with vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 with calcium, were developed. Morphological characteristics, particle size, and physical stability were assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify vitamin C and vitamin D3 directly, while calcium was measured indirectly via its chelated amino acid complex. TEM imaging results confirmed the formation of spherical unilamellar vesicles across all formulations. DLS analysis revealed an average particle size of 168.3 nm with a zeta potential of -22.9 mV for the vitamin C plus D3 formulation and 329.3 nm with a zeta potential of -5.2 mV for the calcium plus D3 formulation. Encapsulation efficiency (EE) was determined to be approximately 50% for vitamin C and >90% for vitamin D3. Stability assessments over a six-month period at 4 ^oC and 25 ^oC indicated high retention rates for calcium (>98%) and vitamin C (>92%), whereas vitamin D3 retention ranged between 70% and 87% depending on storage temperature. Calcium maintained complete stability under simulated gastrointestinal digestion, while vitamin D3 retained an encapsulation efficiency exceeding 30%. These findings demonstrate that liposomal encapsulation effectively accommodates nutrients with differing hydrophilic and lipophilic properties, yielding homogeneous, stable formulations with enhanced oral bioavailability.

Liposomal encapsulation; Multivitamin–Multimineral supplement; Oral bioavailability; Simulated digestion; Quantitative analysis

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