Enhancing vitamin D 3 bioaccessibility: Unveiling hydrophobic interactions in soybean protein isolate and vitamin D 3 binding via an infant in vitro digestion model.

In the domain of infant nutrition, optimizing the absorption of crucial nutrients such as vitamin D ₃ (VD ₃ ) is paramount. This study harnessed dynamic-high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) on soybean protein isolate (SPI) to engineer SPI-VD ₃ nanoparticles for fortifying yogurt. Characterized by notable binding affinity (K _a  = 0.166 × 10 ⁵  L·mol ^-1 ) at 80 MPa and significant surface hydrophobicity (H ₀  = 3494), these nanoparticles demonstrated promising attributes through molecular simulations. During simulated infant digestion, the 80 MPa DHPM-treated nanoparticles showcased an impressive 74.4% VD ₃ bioaccessibility, delineating the pivotal roles of hydrophobicity, bioaccessibility, and micellization dynamics. Noteworthy was their traversal through the gastrointestinal tract, illuminating bile salts' crucial function in facilitating VD ₃ re-encapsulation, thereby mitigating crystallization and augmenting absorption. Moreover, DHPM treatment imparted enhancements in nanoparticle integrity and hydrophobic properties, consequently amplifying VD ₃ bioavailability. This investigation underscores the potential of SPI-VD ₃ nanoparticles in bolstering VD ₃ absorption, thereby furnishing invaluable insights for tailored infant nutrition formulations.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors affirm that they have no known financial conflicts of interest or personal relationships that might have influenced the findings presented in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)