HPMC microparticles carry resveratrol through digestion in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests, resveratrol carried in HPMC microparticles survived simulated digestion better than free resveratrol, and the digested samples did not harm gut cells.
The antioxidant activity of the carried resveratrol was higher than that of free resveratrol.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Bioaccessibility after digestion
Resveratrol in HPMC microparticles reached 56.7% bioaccessibility, while resveratrol in emulsions reached 19.7%. Free resveratrol had the lowest bioaccessibility at 16.1%.
Cell harm in lab tests
After simulated digestion, all samples left gut cells with viability above 90%. Non-digested samples also showed cell viability above 98%.
Antioxidant activity
Digested HPMC microparticles and emulsions increased antioxidant activity by 1.6-fold and 1.4-fold over free resveratrol, respectively. In cell tests, digested samples lowered the baseline level of oxidative stress.
Other findings
Particle size and stability
HPMC microparticles averaged 948 nm in size, while emulsions averaged 217 nm. Emulsions stayed stable for up to three months when stored cold, but broke down at room temperature by day 88.
What the authors conclude
“Our results offer insight into physiological relevancy due to assessment post-digestion and highlight the protection that the use of micro-nano delivery systems can confer to resveratrol and their potential to be used as functional food ingredients capable of providing antioxidant benefits upon consumption.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say their results highlight the protection that micro and nano delivery systems can give to resveratrol.
- They suggest these systems have potential to be used as functional food ingredients that provide antioxidant benefits when eaten.
How it was done
Resveratrol breaks down easily during digestion and has a bitter taste, which makes it hard to add to foods. The authors wanted to see if wrapping it in tiny delivery systems could protect it and improve what reaches the gut.
They made two delivery systems: HPMC microparticles and modified starch emulsions, both loaded with resveratrol. They put these through a simulated digestion and then tested the digested samples on lab-grown gut cells to check cell harm and antioxidant activity.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a lab study using simulated digestion and lab-grown cells, so it cannot show what happens in people.
- The cell tests used a simplified model of the gut lining and cannot predict effects in the whole body.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Minho, Portugal; Associate Laboratory (LABBELS), Portugal; International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Portugal
The paper
- Title
- Resveratrol-loaded octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch emulsions and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) microparticles: Cytotoxicity and antioxidant bioactivity assessment after in vitro digestion
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Silva PM, Neto MD, Cerqueira MA, et al (2024). Resveratrol-loaded octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch emulsions and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) microparticles: Cytotoxicity and antioxidant bioactivity assessment after in vitro digestion. International journal of biological macromolecules. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129288Free full textPubMed 38211926DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error