Surfactants are used to stabilize nanoemulsions by protecting their physical stability and preventing deterioration of the entrapped bioactive during processing and storage. The effect of surfactant concentration on physical-chemical properties of nanoemulsions with entrapped curcumin, relevant to commercial applications, was addressed in this research. Furthermore, the functionality of nanoemulsified curcumin in terms of lipid oxidation inhibition was determined. Protection against varying pH and thermal treatments was more significant in the nanoemulsions at the elevated surfactant level, but at these high concentrations, the surface charges of the emulsions dramatically decreased under sodium salt addition, which may result in instability over time. Nanoemulsions showed the potential to inhibit malondialdehyde (MDA) formulation by protecting the entrapped curcumin and enhance its antioxidant activity when added to milk. The fortified milk with added curcumin systems had a yellow color compared to the control. The results of the study are critical in choosing the surfactant concentration needed to stabilize emulsified curcumin, and to protect the entrapped curcumin under specific conditions of use to support the utilization of curcumin nanoemulsions as a food additive in different commercial products.
a b s t r a c tThe addition of nanoentrapped b-carotene in milk is proposed as a valid method to improve stability and enhance antioxidant activity of b-carotene during GI transit. This study focused on two types of delivery systems, nanoparticles and nanoemulsions, and compared their ability to enhance the physicochemical stability and antioxidant activity of b-carotene in the presence of milk under simulated GI conditions. bCarotene-loaded zein nanoparticles and nanoemulsion, stabilized by pluronic F127 and lecithin, were synthesized and added to liquid milk. Degradation of b-carotene was spectrophotometrically analyzed, and antioxidant activity was measured using ABTS and TBARS assays in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) with pepsin for 2 h and in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) with pancreatin for 24 h. The initial amount of bcarotene remained at 18.30 ± 1.29% and 4.41 ± 2.51% after a 26 h total time of GI exposure in nanoentrapped and emulsified forms, respectively. In both systems, nanoentrapment proved to be beneficial to beta-carotene stability, but this benefit was decreased in the presence of milk. The improvement in antioxidant activity of nanodelivered b-carotene was confirmed by ABTS and TBARS assays. In conclusion, zein nanoparticles improved chemical stability and antioxidant activity of entrapped beta-carotene versus emulsions in the presence of milk under simulated gastrointestinal environments.
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