Abstract
Vitamin D plays a significant role in the physiological functions of the human body. However, the application of vitamin D in functional foods is limited due to its sensitivity to light and oxygen. Therefore, in this study, we developed an effective method to protect vitamin D by encapsulating it in amylose. In detail, vitamin D was encapsulated by amylose inclusion complex, followed by structural characterization and evaluation of its stability and release properties. The results of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that vitamin D was successfully encapsulated in the amylose inclusion complex, and the loading capacity was 1.96% ± 0.02%. The photostability and thermal stability of vitamin D after encapsulation was increased by 59% and 28%, respectively. In addition, in vitro simulated digestion showed that vitamin D was protected through the simulated gastric environment and can be released gradually in the simulated intestinal fluid, implying its improved bioaccessibility. Our findings provide a practical strategy for the development of functional foods based on vitamin D.