Zein and hyaluronic acid (HA) composite nanoparticles were self-assembly fabricated using antisolvent coprecipitation (ASCP) method to deliver quercetagetin (Que). FTIR, CD, and FS results revealed that electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic effect were the dominant driving forces among zein, Que, and HA. With the increasing of HA level, the morphological structure of zein-Que-HA complex was changed from nanoparticle (from 100:5:5 to 100:5:20) to microgel (from 100:5:25 to 100:5:30). The encapsulation efficiency of Que has significantly increased from 55.66% (zein-Que, 100:5) to 93.22% (zein-Que-HA, 100:5:20), and Que in the zein-Que-HA composite nanoparticles exhibited obviously enhanced photochemical, thermal, and physical stability. After 8 months of storage (4 °C), the retention rate of Que also up to 77.93%. These findings interpreted that zein-HA composite nanoparticle would be an efficient delivery system for encapsulating and protecting bioactive compounds.
The utilization of layer-by-layer
composite nanoparticles fabricated from zein and hyaluronic acid (HA)
for the codelivery of curcumin and quercetagetin was investigated.
A combination of hydrophobic effects and hydrogen bonding was responsible
for the interaction of zein with both curcumin and quercetagetin inside
the nanoparticles. Electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding were
mainly responsible for the layer-by-layer deposition of hyaluronic
acid on the surfaces of the nanoparticles. The secondary structure
of zein was altered by the presence of the two nutraceuticals and
HA. The optimized nanoparticle formulation contained relatively small
particles (d = 231.2 nm) that were anionic (ζ
= −30.5 mV). The entrapment efficiency and loading capacity
were 69.8 and 2.5% for curcumin and 90.3 and 3.5% for quercetagetin,
respectively. Interestingly, the morphology of the nanoparticles depended
on their composition. In particular, they changed from coated nanoparticles
to nanoparticle-filled microgels as the level of HA increased. The
nanoparticles were effective at reducing light and thermal degradation
of the two encapsulated nutraceuticals and remained physically stable
throughout 6 months of long-term storage. In addition, the nanoparticles
were shown to slowly release the nutraceuticals under simulated gastrointestinal
tract conditions, which may help improve their oral bioavailability.
In summary, we have shown that layer-by-layer composite nanoparticles
based on zein and HA are an effective codelivery system for two bioactive
compounds.
Curcumin
and piperine are natural nutraceuticals that exhibit synergistic
biological activities, but have different polarities, which can make
their encapsulation within a single delivery system challenging. In
this study, the two bioactive components were encapsulated within
core–shell nanoparticles formed by a combination of antisolvent
precipitation and layer-by-layer deposition. Initially, strongly hydrophobic
curcumin (log P = 4.12) was embedded in the hydrophobic
core of zein-hyaluronic acid nanoparticles using the antisolvent precipitation
method. Then, the weakly hydrophobic piperine (log P = 2.78) was adsorbed to the outer biopolymer shell of these nanoparticles.
Finally, the nutraceutical-loaded particles were coated with a layer
of chitosan by the electrostatic deposition method. The surface charge
and coating thickness depended on the number of adsorbed layers and
the nature of the outer layer, being negative for hyaluronic acid
and positive for chitosan. Low-, medium-, and high-molecular weight
chitosan were utilized to modify the surface properties. Chitosan
with a low-molecular weight was selected to fabricate the core–shell
nanoparticles because it produced small highly charged cationic particles
(d = 599 nm; ζ = +38.1 mV). The encapsulation
efficiency and loading capacities were 90.4 and 5.7% for curcumin,
and 86.4 and 5.4% for piperine, respectively. The core–shell
nanoparticles protected the nutraceuticals from chemical degradation
during light exposure, thermal processing, and storage for 2 months.
Moreover, the nanoparticles were able to control the release of the
bioactive components in simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Our
results should facilitate the development of more effective nanodelivery
systems for nutraceuticals that exhibit synergistic activities, but
have different molecular characteristics.
The aim of the present work was to
fabricate the curcumin-loaded
rhamnolipid nanoparticles using the pH-driven method to enhance the
physicochemical stability and redispersibility of curcumin. The mixture
of curcumin and rhamnolipid could be spontaneously assembled into
the curcumin-loaded rhamnolipid nanoparticles with a small size (107
nm) and negative charge (−45.5 mV). Curcumin molecules could
bind to rhamnolipid molecules through hydrophobic effects and hydrogen
bonds. The effect of different mass ratios of rhamnolipid and curcumin
(1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, 6:1, and 8:1) on the functional property of the
curcumin-loaded rhamnolipid nanoparticles was investigated. With the
rise of rhamnolipid and curcumin mass ratio, the encapsulation efficiency
of curcumin in the nanoparticles was increased from 44.59% to 81.12%
and the loading capacity of curcumin was elevated from 10.14% to 31.67%.
When the mass ratio of rhamnolipid and curcumin was 4:1, the curcumin-loaded
rhamnolipid nanoparticles exhibited better physical stability, pH
stability, and redispersibility. Moreover, the nanoparticles could
effectively protect curcumin against the photodegradation and thermal
degradation. Therefore, the rhamnolipid nanoparticles have the potential
to be applied as a nanodelivery system for bioactive molecules in
functional foods.
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