Lauric acid-promoted β-carotene-albumin self-assembly via high-pressure homogenization: Dual improvement of antioxidant activity and shelf-life in cookie fortification.

Growing consumer health consciousness positions nutritional fortification as pivotal in snack innovation, yet high-temperature processing compromises heat-sensitive nutrients. This study constructed lauric acid-ovalbumin (LAA-OVA) nanocarriers via high-pressure homogenization (HPH) to enhance β-carotene (BC) stability in cookies. Circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed LAA maintained OVA's structural stability during processing. Under optimized HPH (110 MPa, 3 cycles), LAA-mediated BC-OVA self-assembly achieved higher stability (100.0-240.0 nm, polydispersity index <0.30, |zeta potential| > 30.0 mV) than direct OVA encapsulation, with >94.0% BC encapsulation. Microscopic/spectroscopic analyses confirmed spherical complexes stabilized by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Encapsulation increased BC retention 2.4-fold (65 °C) and 2.6-fold (100 °C), enhancing digestive stability and bioaccessibility. Accelerated storage (55 °C/35 days) retained 71.77% BC with reduced peroxides, projecting 165-day shelf-life (25 °C). This provides an effective nanoencapsulation strategy for carotenoid-fortified functional snacks.