Co-encapsulation of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) and Curcumin by Two Proteins-Based Nanoparticles: Role of EGCG

Abstract

In this study, a novel plant-protein-based nanoparticle delivery system was developed to encapsulate and stabilize curcumin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) with different polarities. The strongly hydrophobic curcumin was embedded within the hydrophobic cores of zein nanoparticles using an antisolvent method, while the weakly hydrophobic EGCG was adsorbed to the region between the zein core and caseinate shell. The physicochemical properties, structure, and stability of the core−shell particles were characterized using dynamic light scattering, particle electrophoresis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The bioaccessibility of curcumin in the core−shell nanoparticles was determined using a simulated gastrointestinal tract. Mean particle diameters around 100−200 nm could be produced by modulating the mass ratio of curcumin to zein. The encapsulation efficiency of curcumin in the core−shell nanoparticles was higher (96.2%) in the presence of EGCG than in its absence (77.9%). Moreover, the water dispersibility and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity of the nanoparticles were significantly improved in the presence of EGCG. The simulated gastrointestinal tract experiments indicated that curcumin had a high bioaccessibility in the optimized core−shell nanoparticles. Overall, our findings suggest that EGCG can be used to improve the functional properties of curcumin-loaded zein-caseinate nanoparticles, which may increase their use in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications.

Physicochemical, Digestive, and Sensory Properties of Panax Notoginseng Saponins Encapsulated by Polymerized Whey Protein

“…The functional properties of colloidal delivery systems are associated with the particle size, PDI, and charge characteristics [ 27 ]. It has been reported that nanoparticles with particle sizes in the range of 10–100 nm have unique advantages such as enhanced solubility and stability [ 31 ].…”

“…Simulate gastrointestinal digestion was operated according to the method of Yan et al [ 27 ], with some modifications. The sample was mixed with hydrochloric acid (0.1 M) and stirred (100 rpm/min) at 37 °C for 10 min.…”

Prolamin‐based complexes: Structure design and food‐related applications

“…Animal proteins, such as caseinate (Li, Xu, Sun, et al., 2018; Liu, Li, Yang, Xiong, & Sun, 2017; Yan et al., 2019; Zheng & Zhang, 2019), gelatin (Khan, Fang, et al., 2019; Mamidi, Romo, Leija Gutiérrez, Barrera, & Elías‐Zúñiga, 2018; Wang et al., 2018), beta‐lactoglobulin (β‐Lg) (Khan, Fang, et al., 2019), and whey protein isolate (WPI) (Oymaci & Altinkaya, 2016; Zhu et al., 2018) are often used to stabilize prolamin‐based particles. These proteins reduce the strong surface hydrophobicity of prolamins and increase the steric and electrostatic repulsions, thereby reducing their tendency to aggregate (Yan et al., 2019). WPI has also been used to couple gliadin to form emulsion gels using the ASP method (Zhu et al., 2018).…”

Biopolymer nanoparticles: a strategy to enhance stability, bioavailability, and biological effects of phenolic compounds as functional ingredients

“…This improvement was not only attributed to the nanocarrier, but also to the strong antioxidant activity of EGCG, which generates a synergic effect in combination with curcumin. 61 The encapsulation within zein-chitosan nanoparticles enhanced the water solubility of quercetin about 753 times, in comparison with free quercetin. Likewise, the antioxidant activity of the same compound on human liver cancer (HepG2) cells was also intensified by encapsulation using zein-chitosan as wall materials of nanoparticles, showing a decrease in the median effective dose (EC 50 ) by 24%.…”