Design, fabrication and characterization of pectin-coated gelatin nanoparticles as potential nano-carrier system

The main purpose of this study was to fabricate potential nano-delivery systems based on protein-polysaccharide complex for use in beverages. In this regard, optimum gelatin-pectin complex (GPC) nano-carrier with hydrodynamic diameter of approximate to 200 nm was designed and fabricated using low-bloom gelatin (BG) and high-methoxyl pectin (CP) at BG/CP weight ratio of 1:1 (0.025%(w/v) CP on 0.025%(w/v) BG) and pH 4.5. The suspension containing GPC nano-carrier had very good transparency (14.1NTU). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images illustrated that the GPC particles were spherical with fairly smooth surface. Particle size analysis showed that the complex particles had a narrow size distribution (polydispersity index (PDI)approximate to 0.254). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) confirmed the formation of amide bonds between carboxyl groups in CP and amino groups in BG, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed the amorphous nature of the GPC nano-carrier. Finally, the storage stability test indicated that the GPC particles didn't significantly grow after 20 days of storage at 4 degrees C.