Development of a nanoparticle delivery system based on zein/polysaccharide complexes

Abstract

Zein, an alcohol-soluble protein in corn, can self-assemble into spherical nanoparticles, which makes it an ideal carrier material for the encapsulation of hydrophobic bioactive molecules. However, zein nanoparticles easily aggregate in water and are sensitive to enzymatic degradation in the digestive system. A strategy to overcome their limitations is the incorporation of polysaccharides as a second polymer layer that provides stability to zein nanoparticles. This review introduces the characteristics of zein as they relate to understanding the formation of zein/polysaccharide nanoparticles. Particular attention is paid to the preparation methods for the zein/polysaccharide nanoparticles, as well as to the morphological observation methods and detection mechanism. Moreover, the properties and applications of zein/polysaccharide nanoparticles are highlighted.

Polysaccharide-Zein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhancing Cellular Uptake and Oral Bioavailability of Curcumin: Characterization, Anti-colorectal Cancer Effect, and Pharmacokinetics

“…Nonetheless, studies also showed that zein may form aggregates in the GI tract under near-isoelectric and high-ionic strength conditions, and may be partially digested by trypsin ( 12 ). Coating with PS, such as gum Arabic (GA), hyaluronic acid (HA), pectin (PC), chitosan, and alginate, has been proposed to be a promising approach to help overcome these limitations ( 13 ). These PS are capable of forming a core-shell structure with zein via crosslinking between the various functional groups on the macromolecules.…”

Tremella polysaccharides-coated zein nanoparticles for enhancing stability and bioaccessibility of curcumin

“…It has been reported that zein NPs, as delivery system of bioactives, can significantly improve the stability and bioavailability of bioactives ( Rodríguez-Félix et al, 2019 ). Nevertheless, the unfavorable properties of zein NPs, such as water insolubility and poor stability under certain ambient pressures (e.g., high temperature), limit the application of zein NPs as delivery systems in the food field ( Li and Yu, 2020 ; Meng et al, 2021 ; Sun et al, 2017 ). Studies have demonstrated that the addition of surfactants (e.g., Tween 80) as stabilizers can effectively dispose of the above problems via decreasing surface hydrophobicity ( Hu and McClements, 2014 ).…”

Hyaluronic Acid–Zein Core-Shell Nanoparticles Improve the Anticancer Effect of Curcumin Alone or in Combination with Oxaliplatin against Colorectal Cancer via CD44-Mediated Cellular Uptake

“…The high zeta potential of HZ and HZ-CUR supported the good stability of the formulations. The hydrogen bonding, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the zein and polysaccharide (HA) molecules were likely responsible for the formation of the stable complexes in the nanoparticles [ 27 ]. These characteristic features were accompanied by a significant increase in the EE and LC of the nanoparticles (HZ-CUR) ( Table S1 ) and partly explained the favorable CUR release behavior during simulated gastrointestinal digestion in our previous study [ 26 ].…”