Ultrasonic-antisolvent two-step assembly of carboxymethylated corn fiber gum-coated zein particles for enhanced curcumin delivery

Zhiyuan Ma; Chenlin Dai; Yike Liu; Guoku Liu; Xueying Mao; Fuguo Liu; Xuebo Liu

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137448

Ultrasonic-antisolvent two-step assembly of carboxymethylated corn fiber gum-coated zein particles for enhanced curcumin delivery

Food Chem. 2024 Feb 15:434:137448. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137448. Epub 2023 Sep 11.

Authors

Zhiyuan Ma¹, Chenlin Dai², Yike Liu², Guoku Liu³, Xueying Mao⁴, Fuguo Liu⁵, Xuebo Liu⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 10008 Beijing, China.
² College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
³ College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, Hebei, China.
⁴ College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 10008 Beijing, China. Electronic address: wumaoxy@163.com.
⁵ College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China. Electronic address: fuguo@nwafu.edu.cn.
⁶ College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China. Electronic address: xueboliu@nwsuaf.edu.cn.

PMID: 37748291
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137448

Abstract

Zein particles (ZPs) have garnered considerable interest in delivery system construction for its capacity to encapsulate hydrophobic substances. Nonetheless, the instability of ZPs is an obstacle to application. Coating carboxymethylated corn fiber gum (CMCFG) which is a modified polysaccharide molecule enriched with anionic groups on the surface of ZPs is expected to overcome this limitation. Here, we evaluated the cell viability of CMCFG to Caco-2, proving the safety of CMCFG with different substitution degree (0.42, 0.52 and 0.70) below 20 mg/mL. Furthermore, curcumin, a hydrophobic model compound, was loaded onto ZPs coated with CMCFG using ultrasonic-antisolvent method, achieving a remarkable encapsulation efficiency (91.19%) and enhanced stability and bioaccessibility. Multiple characteristic approaches, such as zeta potential, FTIR, XRD, ultraviolet absorption spectra revealed that the assembly process mainly relied on hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic interactions. This study provides novel insights into encapsulation methods for hydrophobic nutrients.

Keywords: Carboxymethylated corn fiber gum; Curcumin; Delivery system; Zein nanoparticles.