Development of an analytical procedure for the quantification of artemisinin in encapsulated formulations

Šijanec, Ana (avtor), Grčman, Matjaž (avtor), Pompe, Matevž (avtor), Kočar, Drago (avtor)

Encapsulated formulations have emerged as a promising tool for increasing nutrient absorption in the food supplement and cosmetic industries. Although the theoretical amplification factors for improving the bioavailability of encapsulated formulations are very high for poorly soluble active compounds, it has long been known that encapsulation can also enhance the absorption of water-soluble ingredients. These findings have led to the development of new technologies for encapsulating nutrients for use in the food industry. However, accurate quantification of nutrients in encapsulated formulations in the food supplement industry remains a challenge. This study presents the development and validation of novel analytical procedures for determining artemisinin in various food supplement formulations. Three formulations were prepared using different emulsifying procedures for artemisinin encapsulation. High-performance liquid chromatography with UV/Vis detection (HPLC-UV/Vis) was used for analysis. Separation was performed using a Waters ACQUITY Premier BEH C18 column. Specialized sample preparation procedures were designed to efficiently disrupt encapsulation and extract artemisinin for precise quantification. Three different sample preparation procedures were required to accurately determine the artemisinin content in the tested formulations. All methods were validated. The precision, linearity expressed as R$^2$, LOD, and LOQ of the chromatographic method were 0.39%, 0.9995, 18 µg/mL, and 26 µg/mL, respectively. Recoveries of the sample preparation methods were above 94%. The developed procedures enable accurate determination of artemisinin in encapsulated formulations, ensuring product quality and safety. These findings suggest that, for quality control of encapsulated food products, specialized analytical procedures for individual formulations may need to be developed and validated.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: artemisinin, encapsulation, food supplements, stability, HPLC-UV/Vis, quality control, sample preparation
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: FKKT - Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2025
• Št. strani: 14 str.
• Številčenje: Vol. 14, iss. 24, art. 4349
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181645
• UDK: 543.544.5HPLC
• ISSN pri članku: 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods14244349
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262533379
• Datum objave v RUL: 10.04.2026

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Foods
• Skrajšan naslov: Foods
• Založnik: MDPI
• ISSN: 2304-8158
• COBISS.SI-ID: 512252472

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: artemizinin, enkapsulacija, prehranska dopolnila, stabilnost, HPLC-UV/Vis, kontrola kakovosti, priprava vzorca

Projekti

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: P1-0153
• Naslov: Raziskave in razvoj analiznih metod in postopkov