Design and Characterization of a Novel Core–Shell Nano Delivery System Based on Zein and Carboxymethylated Short-Chain Amylose for Encapsulation of Curcumin

Zhiwei Lin, Linjie Zhan, Kaili Qin, Yang Li, Yang Qin, Lu Yang, Qingjie Sun, Na Ji, Fengwei Xie

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (SciVal)
96 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Curcumin is a naturally occurring hydrophobic polyphenolic compound with a rapid metabolism, poor absorption, and low stability, which severely limits its bioavailability. Here, we employed a starch–protein-based nanoparticle approach to improve the curcumin bioavailability. This study focused on synthesizing nanoparticles with a zein “core” and a carboxymethylated short-chain amylose (CSA) “shell” through anti-solvent precipitation for delivering curcumin. The zein@CSA core–shell nanoparticles were extensively characterized for physicochemical properties, structural integrity, ionic stability, in vitro digestibility, and antioxidant activity. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicates nanoparticle formation through hydrogen-bonding, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions between zein and CSA. Zein@CSA core–shell nanoparticles exhibited enhanced stability in NaCl solution. At a zein-to-CSA ratio of 1:1.25, only 15.7% curcumin was released after 90 min of gastric digestion, and 66% was released in the intestine after 240 min, demonstrating a notable sustained release effect. Furthermore, these nanoparticles increased the scavenging capacity of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) free radical compared to those composed solely of zein and were essentially nontoxic to Caco-2 cells. This research offers valuable insights into curcumin encapsulation and delivery using zein@CSA core–shell nanoparticles.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1837
Number of pages16
JournalFoods
Volume13
Issue number12
Early online date11 Jun 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jun 2024

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of the Shandong Province (ZR2020QC243, ZR2020QC240, ZR2022QC049), the Foreign Expert Project (G2022025008L), the High-level Talent Start-up Fund from Qingdao Agricultural University (No. 665/1120022), and Qingdao Natural Science Foundation (23-2-1-41-zyyd-jch).

FundersFunder number
Natural Science Foundation of Shandong ProvinceZR2020QC240, ZR2020QC243, ZR2022QC049
Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province
Qingdao Agricultural University665/1120022
Qingdao Agricultural University
Foreign Expert ProjectG2022025008L
Natural Science Foundation of Qingdao Municipality23-2-1-41-zyyd-jch

    Keywords

    • anti-solvent precipitation
    • biopolymer molecular interactions
    • carboxymethylated short-chain amylose
    • core–shell nanoparticles

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Food Science
    • Microbiology
    • Health(social science)
    • Health Professions (miscellaneous)
    • Plant Science

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Design and Characterization of a Novel Core–Shell Nano Delivery System Based on Zein and Carboxymethylated Short-Chain Amylose for Encapsulation of Curcumin'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this