β-Carotene - 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin complexes coated with pectin

β-Carotene is one of the most popular carotenoids and has various health benefits. However, it is insoluble in water and degrades under the action of heat, light and oxygen. Its formulation with macromolecules can overcome these drawbacks. The study was aimed to prepare β-carotene – 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin complexes coated with pectin of the different degrees of esterification in the pH value range from 4 to 7 and characterize their physicochemical properties. The interaction of components was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The size of prepared particles was determined by the dynamic light scattering method. The hydrodynamic radius varied approximately from 80 to 300 nm depending on the type of pectin. The particles coated with high methoxyl pectin were the most stable in terms of size. The coating increased the thermal and UV stability of β-carotene. The changes of colour of coated complex powder were estimated during the storage in the dark at 4 °C. The additional coating of the complex could be an attractive approach for the development of a β-carotene delivery system. The ternary system of β-carotene – 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin – pectin was prepared and characterized for the first time.