A novel formulation of multi-vitamin fortified beverage with natural antioxidant by nano-hybrid encapsulation for hydration and immune support

The escalating global temperatures and increased frequency of heatwaves associated with climate change have intensified the risk of chronic dehydration, particularly in the Arab Gulf, Sahara, Sub-Saharan regions, and in some part of Europe and North America during Summer. This study presents the development, biomaterial synthesis process, and comprehensive physicochemical characterization of a novel nanocomposite-based vitamin-fortified water designed as a potential approach to address hydration and nutritional needs in populations at risk of dehydration, with the vitamins included selected for their established roles in immune function and antioxidant defense. The formulation centers on a biopolymer-stabilized lipid nanocomposite incorporating concentrated vitamin extracts comprising Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Riboflavin (Vitamin B 2 ), 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol (Vitamin D 3 ), and α-Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E). The bioactive nanocomposite is stabilized using Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-based biocompatible surfactants and Rosmarinic acid as a natural antioxidant preservative, forming a microemulsion-based nanocomposite with a mean droplet diameter of 89.3 ± 4.7 nm and polydispersity index of 0.187, confirming colloidal stability and homogeneous nanoparticle size distribution. This Vitamin Extract concentrate is subsequently dispersed in biologically activated water (prepared using sucrase-catalyzed enzymatic treatment followed by UV-C irradiation, pH 6.9) to produce the final functional beverage. Comprehensive stability studies conducted over 12 weeks under varying storage conditions (4 °C, 25 °C, 40 °C; light-protected vs. exposed) demonstrated >90% vitamin retention under refrigeration and >85% retention at room temperature, with accelerated degradation observed at 40 °C and under light exposure. The resulting product is a colorless, palatable liquid with a pH of 6.0, designed as a biomaterial-based functional beverage to support hydration, bolster immune function, and deliver essential micronutrients. This work outlines both conventional solution preparation and a non-conventional, sequential adiabatic mixing process for formulating the vitamin-loaded nanocomposite, with full analytical validation including nanoparticle size analysis, zeta potential measurement, and quantitative HPLC-DAD vitamin quantification.