Intestinal parasitic infection is one of the main causes of acute undernutrition in children. Oral consumption of oregano essential oil (OEO) can reduce intestinal parasitic infections, however, its addition to therapeutic and supplementary foods is hampered by its undesirable flavor. The objective of this study was to develop a functional lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) containing OEO, which is stable, acceptable and provides targeted intestinal delivery of bioactive. β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD) inclusion complexes of OEO (β-CyD-OEO), and carvacrol (β-CyD-CV) (1:1 molar) were prepared using slurry complexation (-20 °C) method and characterized based on encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, morphology, and 2-phase in vitro digestion stability. Carvacrol (CV) content was measured using reverse phase HPLC-UV. LNS containing β-CyD-OEO (27.2 mg encapsulate/20 g LNS) was formulated using Indian staples and ingredients. Discriminatory sensory tests (triangle) were performed with college students (n = 58) and low-income women (n = 25), with young children at home (1 to 6 years), living in Mehsana, India to evaluate differences between LNS with and without bioactive ingredient (β-CyD-OEO only). Moisture of dried complexes ranged 9.1% to 9.7% d.b., whereas water activity 0.35 to 0.412. The complex size and encapsulation efficiency of β-CyD-OEO and β-CyD-CV were 1.5 to 7 μm and 4 to 20 μm, and 86.04 ± 4.48% and 81.39 ± 3.34%, respectively. The bioactive complexes were stable through the gastric and intestinal phases. Bioaccessibility of encapsulated CV ranged 6.0% to 7.7%. Sensory tests revealed no differences (P > 0.05) in color, aroma, and taste between LNS with and without β-CyD-OEO complexes. Functionalization of LNS with β-CyD-OEO is feasible based on in vitro stability and sensory studies. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Despite its antiparasitic activities, the addition of oregano essential oil into foods is limited due to its strong flavor and volatility. In this study, we evaluated the encapsulation of oregano essential oil with β-cyclodextrin and its addition into lipid-based nutrition supplements. The results revealed that complex encapsulation efficiency was above 80%. Also, the bioactive complexes were stable under in vitro gastrointestinal conditions. Sensory evaluation of LNS with and without encapsulated essential oil showed no difference in terms of color, aroma, and taste. The functional LNS can both address nutrient insufficiency as well as parasitic infection among malnourished populations in low-resource settings.

中文翻译：

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牛至精油中含有 β-环糊精的脂质营养补充剂的功能化

肠道寄生虫感染是儿童急性营养不良的主要原因之一。口服牛至精油 (OEO) 可以减少肠道寄生虫感染，但是，将其添加到治疗和补充食品中受到其不良风味的阻碍。本研究的目的是开发一种含有 OEO 的功能性基于脂质的营养补充剂 (LNS)，该补充剂稳定、可接受并提供有针对性的肠道递送生物活性物质。采用浆液络合 (-20 °C) 方法制备 OEO (β-CyD-OEO) 和香芹酚 (β-CyD-CV) (1:1 摩尔) 的 β-环糊精 (β-CyD) 包合物，并基于包封效率、水分含量、形态和两相体外消化稳定性。使用反相 HPLC-UV 测量香芹酚 (CV) 含量。含有 β-CyD-OEO 的 LNS (27. 2 mg 胶囊/20 g LNS) 使用印度主食和成分配制而成。对住在印度 Mehsana 的大学生（n = 58）和低收入女性（n = 25）以及在家中的幼儿（1 至 6 岁）进行了歧视性感官测试（三角形），以评估 LNS 与并且不含生物活性成分（仅限β-CyD-OEO）。干燥复合物的水分范围为 9.1% 至 9.7% db，而水分活度为 0.35 至 0.412。β-CyD-OEO 和 β-CyD-CV 的复合尺寸和包封率分别为 1.5 至 7 μm 和 4 至 20 μm，以及 86.04 ± 4.48% 和 81.39 ± 3.34%。生物活性复合物在胃和肠阶段是稳定的。封装 CV 的生物可及性范围为 6.0% 至 7.7%。感官测试显示颜色、香气、和没有β-CyD-OEO复合物的LNS之间的味道。基于体外稳定性和感官研究，用 β-CyD-OEO 对 LNS 进行功能化是可行的。实际应用 尽管牛至精油具有抗寄生虫活性，但由于其强烈的风味和挥发性，其在食品中的添加受到限制。在这项研究中，我们评估了牛至精油与 β-环糊精的封装以及将其添加到基于脂质的营养补充剂中。结果表明复合封装效率在80%以上。此外，生物活性复合物在体外胃肠道条件下是稳定的。有和没有包封精油的 LNS 的感官评价显示在颜色、香气和味道方面没有差异。