Resveratrol proniosomes as a convenient nanoingredient for functional food

•Red wine is the main source of Resveratrol in the Mediterranean diet.•Resveratrol displayed antioxidant, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activity.•Resveratrol poor water solubility strongly affect its bioavailability.•Niosomes can enhance the aqueous solubility of an active ingredient.•Proniosomes, powders of a surfactant-coated carrier, can be hydrated to form niosomes. Proniosomes are free-flowing powders composed of water-soluble carriers blended with surfactants, which form niosomes upon hydration. In this work, proniosomal formulations containing the natural antioxidant resveratrol (RSV) were prepared and fully characterized. A pre-formulation study on RSV-loaded niosomes was carried out to determine the most promising ratio between the two surfactants, Tween 20 and Span 60, in terms of entrapment efficiency and antioxidant activity. The optimized formulae were subsequently adapted to be prepared as proniosomes by the slurry method, including lactose or maltodextrin as carriers. The impact of surfactants and carriers properties on size, entrapment efficiency and release kinetics of proniosomes were evaluated. In vitro release of RSV in simulated gastric and intestinal media was determined, as well as the vesicular stability. Moreover, the biocompatibility of the formulations was determined on intestinal cells in vitro. Overall, the developed proniosomes provide promising nanoingredient for functional food, improving resveratrol stability and bioavailability.