The esterification of carambola (starfruit) insoluble fibre (IF) and cellulose using high-pressure homogenisation without chemical catalyst was carried out as well as the evaluation of vitamin carrying and releasing abilities of the esterified fibres. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses showed that these fibres underwent structural changes and were esterified with lactic acid via a simple and fast process of high-pressure homogenisation. In vitro studies showed that the esterified fibres were capable of carrying vitamin E (11.2 mg g−1 composite) and releasing nutrient slowly. In vivo studies further demonstrated that feeding the esterified carambola IF-vitamin composite could help maintain plasma vitamin E at relatively higher concentrations (1.7- to 3.8-fold of the initial value) for better utilisation for at least 5 h. The results suggested that the esterified insoluble fibres, especially the esterified carambola IF, could be exploited as potential nutrient carriers in functional food applications and slow-release formulations.
