Solubility of Co-crystal Beta Carotenoid Using Xylitol, Erythritol, Sucrose, and Dextrose as Co-former

Abstract

Beta carotene is a lipid-soluble pigment known for its numerous health benefits. However, it has some drawbacks regarding its usage, especially due to its low solubility and stability. This study investigates the enhancement of beta-carotene solubility through co-crystallization with different sweeteners, which are xylitol, erythritol, sucrose, and dextrose as the co-formers. Some analysis including solubility analysis and comparison, FTIR, and fluorescence microscope were done in this experiment. The results showed that all co-crystals enhanced beta-carotene solubility to varying extents. However, no significant differences in solubility were observed among co-crystals made with different sweeteners, mainly due to their shared hydroxyl structures and similar intermolecular interactions. This study highlights the potential of sweetener-based co-crystals to improve beta-carotene's solubility and hopefully give further exploration for co-crystallization techniques to enhance the bioavailability of beta carotene.