Protein-surface and protein-crystal interactions are becoming increasingly important in many areas of technology including drug and nutraceutical delivery, as many nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals are highly hydrophobic and tend to crystallize, resulting in low water-solubility and poor bioavailability. The improved ability to control lipophilic bioactive nanocrystal formation and to solubilize it using proteins can increase stability and open new ways to control the release of incorporated bioactives and their bioavailability.
Genistein is a soy isoflavone with evidenced beneficial health effects, such as attenuation of menopausal symptoms, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, breast and prostate cancer [1-3]. Genistein has poor water solubility and it is crystalline at body temperature, thus has a low bioavailability.
The aim of this research was to apply food proteins to control genistein crystal growth, morphology and dispersibility, thus to improve genistein delivery in food systems, by increasing its stability and bioavailability.
Using intrinsic fluorescence quenching we showed that genistein binds to hydrophobin, β-casein and β-lactoglobulin with association constants of 3.3x104, 1.9x104, and 0.8x104M-1, respectively.
Dynamic light scattering and polarized light microscopy results imply that the studied proteins inhibit genistein crystal growth in aqueous solution. Cryogenic Transmission electron microscopy images reveal highly ordered structures of protein-genistein nanometric co-assemblies.
We have also demonstrated the potential of the studied proteins as protective nanovehicles of genistein for food enrichment.
Principal investigator: Prof. Yoav D. Livney Livney@technion.ac.il
References:
1. Dijsselbloem, N., et al., Soy isoflavone phyto-pharmaceuticals in interleukin-6 affections. Biochemical Pharmacology, 2004. 68(6): p. 1171-1185.
2. McCue, P. and K. Shetty, Health Benefits of Soy Isoflavonoids and Strategies for Enhancement: A Review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2004. 44(5): p. 361-367.
3. Behloul, N. and G. Wu, Genistein: A promising therapeutic agent for obesity and diabetes treatment. European Journal of Pharmacology, 2013. 698(1-3): p. 31-38.
