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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.13.711625

Nutrishield Beta-Carotene Attenuates LPS-Induced Systemic Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Murine Model

Fu, J.·Yu, S.·Ngoa, K.·Teo, X. H.·Ovais, M.
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Abstract

{beta}-Carotene is a strong antioxidant and immunomodulator, but it breaks down in the presence of oxygen and isnt readily bioavailable. Nutrishield(R) {beta}-Carotene is a special starch-based microencapsulation system designed to protect {beta}-carotene from oxidation, make it easier to spread in the gastrointestinal environment, and improve its effectiveness. This study reported Nutrishield(R) as a formulation platform by using {beta}-carotene as a model compound. We compared how well it worked in vitro and in vivo with {beta}-carotene that wasnt encapsulated. We randomly put thirty-two male BALB/c mice into four groups (n=8): Control, LPS, LPS + {beta}-Carotene (10 mg/kg/day), and LPS + Nutrishield(R) (the same dose of {beta}-Carotene). After an intraperitoneal injection of LPS (1 mg/kg, twice weekly), the treatments were administered orally for 28 days. LPS administration significantly elevated TNF- (142 {+/-} 8 pg/mL), IL-6 (118 {+/-} 7 pg/mL), and serum 8-OHdG (5.4 {+/-} 0.3 ng/mL) in comparison to controls (TNF- = 62 {+/-} 5 pg/mL; IL-6 = 51 {+/-} 4 pg/mL; 8-OHdG = 2.1 {+/-} 0.2 ng/mL). Nutrishield(R) {beta}-Carotene supplementation significantly normalized cytokine profiles (TNF- = 69 {+/-} 4 pg/mL; IL-6 = 56 {+/-} 3 pg/mL; IL-10 increased from 38 {+/-} 2 to 76 {+/-} 3 pg/mL; p < 0.001 vs. LPS). Histological analysis demonstrated reduced hepatocellular vacuolation and renal tubular degeneration in the Nutrishield(R) {beta}-Carotene group relative to the {beta}-carotene and LPS groups. These findings demonstrate that Nutrishield(R) microencapsulation significantly enhances the functional antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy of {beta}-carotene in a murine model of systemic inflammation. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=134 SRC="FIGDIR/small/711625v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (48K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@184b37forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@124680aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@12a704aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1321a42_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

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Fu, J., Yu, S., Ngoa, K., Teo, X. H., Ovais, M.. 2026-03-17. Nutrishield Beta-Carotene Attenuates LPS-Induced Systemic Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Murine Model. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.13.711625

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