Royal jelly exosome-based nanocarriers enhance the stability and bioactivity of polyphenols from Ascophyllum nodosum for melanin regulatio

  • Food Res Int. 2025 Dec;221(Pt 4):117495. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117495.
Yujing Lu  1 ,  Yicheng Guo  1 ,  Lina Wang  2 ,  Yoshimasa Nakamura  3 ,  Hang Qi  4
Affiliations
  • 1. SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety Control, National Engineering Research Centre of Seafood, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Seafood Deep Processing, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China.
  • 2. Dalian Center For Certification and Food and Drug Control.
  • 3. Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
  • 4. SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety Control, National Engineering Research Centre of Seafood, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Seafood Deep Processing, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41185370 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117495
Abstract

Polyphenols extracted from Ascophyllum nodosum (PEAn) exhibit significant bioactivities but are limited by poor photothermal stability and low membrane permeability, which hinder their applications. This study explores the use of royal jelly exosomes (RExo) as a novel food-derived nanocarrier to enhance the stability and targeted delivery of PEAn. RExo (105.01 ± 7.24 nm) demonstrated a spherical morphology and expressed key exosomal markers (CD63, CD81, TSG101), enriched in metabolism-related proteins. The yield of RExo was optimized to a 12.72-fold increase at pH 6.0 compared to pH 2.0. Ultrasound-assisted loading achieved 85.73 ± 1.73 % encapsulation efficiency, as confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. Encapsulation significantly enhanced the photothermal stability and gastrointestinal tolerance of PEAn. In B16F10 cells, RExo improved PEAn uptake, inhibited Tyrosinase activity, reduced melanin synthesis, and suppressed cell migration. Mechanistically, the anti-melanogenic effect of PEAn-RExo may be partially dependent on Autophagy induction. This study provides a promising natural strategy for the development of functional foods and personalized nutrient delivery systems.

Keywords
Autophagy induction; Cellular model; Food-derived nanocarriers; Melanogenesis inhibition; Polyphenols extracted from Ascophyllum nodosum.
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