Abstract
Echium amoenum, a highly valued medicinal plant in Iran, is rich in polyphenols. Microbial fermentation can improve the bioavailability of its phenolic compounds, which are otherwise limited (5–10%), by releasing them from the plant cell wall. Moreover, incorporating these bioactive compounds in phospholipid vesicles can further maximize their biological efficacy. This study developed a combined approach using lactic acid fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and phospholipid-based nanocarriers to optimize the delivery of E. amoenum extract. Fermented extract (50 mg/mL) was successfully incorporated into liposomes, nutriosomes, and advanced alginate-nutriosomes, as confirmed by cryo-TEM and FTIR analyses. All vesicles were nanosized (105–124 nm), negatively charged (~ − 56 mV), and homogeneously dispersed (PDI ≤ 0.19) with high loading efficiencies (> 90%). They remained stable under simulated saliva, gastric, and intestinal conditions and exhibited controlled release. In vitro assays demonstrated biocompatibility and protective effects on stressed Caco-2 cells. Overall, alginate-nutriosomes represent a promising nanocarrier for oral administration of fermented E. amoenum extract.
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The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory (BPEL), Department of Food Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran.This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of: National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.5-Call for tender No. 3277 published on 30 December 2021, by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU, Project Code ECS0000038-Project Title e. INS Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia-Grant Assignment Decree No. 1056 adopted on 23 June 2022 and by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR);
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Ehsan Divan Khosroshahi: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. Rita Abi Rached: Methodology, Investigation, Data curation, Formal analysis. Zeinab E. Mousavi: Validation, Writing – review and editing. Maryam Salami: Validation, Writing – review and editing. Angela Serpe: Data curation, Formal analysis. Mona Ghaslani: Data curation, Formal analysis. Maria Manconi: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Validation. Maria Letizia Manca: Supervision, Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. Osmolowskaya: Validation, writing – review and editing. Seyed Hadi Razavi: Supervision, Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing.
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Khosroshahi, E.D., Rached, R.A., Serpe, A. et al. Advanced alginate- nutriosomes for enhanced oral delivery of fermented Echium amoenum polyphenols. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42684-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42684-9
