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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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γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a potentially bioactive ingredient with health-promoting properties that is added to functional foods. Streptococcus thermophilus was selected to produce naturally GABA-enriched fermented milk. This strain can yield a GABA concentration of 2.8 g/L after a 48-h fermentation. In the presence of 1 g/L food-grade casein hydrolysate as a nitrogen source, S. thermophilus yielded GABA concentrations as high as 5.4 g/L or even 8.3 g/L when cocultured with Lactobacillus rhamnosus. In other words, both of these added conditions promoted GABA enrichment. The GABA dose achieved with fermented milk was comparable to the doses of commercially available GABA supplements. Additionally, the in situ use of S. thermophilus to produce GABA-enriched fermented milk was cost effective. The complete genomic sequence of S. thermophilus GABA has been published and will be highly useful to other researchers studying the regulation of genes related to GABA accumulation. In conclusion, the S. thermophilus GABA-producing strain reported herein represents a natural method for the production of fermented milk containing high GABA concentrations.

In this study, we utilized different types of particles to stabilize β-carotene-loaded Pickering emulsions: spherical hydrophobic zein colloidal particles (ZCPs) (517.3 nm) and rod-shaped hydrophilic cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) (115.2 nm). Either of the particles was incapable of stabilizing Pickering emulsions owing to their inappropriate wettability. When the mass ratio of ZCPs and CNCs was 1:4, the Pickering emulsion showed the best physical and photothermal stability. Compared to the ZCPstabilized Pickering emulsion (9.29%), the retention rate of β-carotene in the Pickering emulsion costabilized by ZCPs and CNCs was increased to 60.23% after 28 days of storage at 55 °C. Confocal microscopy and cryoscanning electron microscopy confirmed that different types of particles could form a multilayered structure or induce the formation of an interparticle network. Furthermore, the complexation of ZCPs and CNCs delayed the lipolysis of the emulsion during in vitro digestion. The free fatty acid (FFA) release rate of Pickering emulsions in the small intestinal phase was reduced from 19.46 to 8.73%. Accordingly, the bioaccessibility of βcarotene in Pickering emulsions ranged from 9.14 to 27.25% through adjusting the mass ratio and addition sequence of distinct particles at the interface. The Pickering emulsion with the novel particle−particle complex interface was designed in foods and pharmaceuticals for purpose of enhanced stability, delayed lipolysis, or sustained nutrient release.

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