Assessment of a Functional Yogurt Enriched with Anthocyanin-Loaded Nanoliposomes: Sensory Evaluation and Physicochemical Stability During Cold Storage
Miguel Ángel Robles-García, Carmen Lizette Del‐Toro‐Sánchez, Linthia Jovana Tapia-Beiza, Melesio Gutiérrez-Lomelí, María Guadalupe Ávila-Novoa, Ariadna Thalía Bernal-Mercado, Francisco Javier Reynoso-Marín, Fridha Viridiana Villalpando‐Vargas, Alejandra Vázquez, Ernesto Ramírez‐Briones, Ricardo Iván González-Vega
Abstract
In the development of functional foods with therapeutic value, nanoliposomal carriers offer a promising strategy for enhancing the stability and efficacy of bioactive compounds in dairy matrices. This study evaluated the sensory acceptance and physicochemical stability of yogurt enriched with anthocyanin-loaded nanoliposomes during 21 days of refrigerated storage, assessing the impact of nanoencapsulation on compound preservation and quality. Nanoliposomes were synthesized using ultrasonic film dispersion and characterized for antioxidant and erythroprotective activities. Antioxidant capacity was assessed through DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, while erythroprotective effects were evaluated via oxidative hemolysis using human erythrocytes of different ABO/RhD phenotypes. These were incorporated into artisanal yogurt, followed by physicochemical, microbiological, rheological, and sensory analyses. Anthocyanins showed strong antioxidant capacity, especially in ABTS (93.24%), DPPH (21.34%), and FRAP (1023.24 µM TE/g D.W.), reflecting their radical scavenging and reducing power. They also exhibited high erythroprotective activity, with greater antihemolytic effects in O RhD- blood and enhanced photoprotection against UVA in O RhD+ blood. Yogurt enriched with nanoliposomes showed improved color stability, reduced syneresis, and favorable rheological and sensory characteristics. These findings support nanoliposomes as molecular delivery systems in functional dairy matrices with potential nutraceutical applications targeting oxidative stress. Further work should explore molecular mechanisms and validate health-promoting effects.