Investigation of the Incorporation Efficiency of $\beta$-Carotene into Liposomes

Chemical and photochemical precesses during food storage an preparation rapidly degrade $\beta$-carotene, the most active form of carotenoids. We investigated the possibility of liposomes as tool to preserve $\beta$-carotene. Liposomes with $\beta$-carotene were prepared as multilamellar vesicles by using soybean phosphatidylcholine, in terms of the ratio of $\beta$-carotene to phospholipid and pH. Incorporated efficiency was 99.7% at 1:0.05 of phospholipid : $\beta$-carotene and at pH 9.0. As the concentration of $\beta$-carotene increased, the incorporated efficiency increased progressively. pH did not affect the incorporation efficiency greatly.