Organic solvent-free starch-based green electrospun nanofiber mats for curcumin encapsulation and delivery

Developing green and efficient methods for the delivery of active food substances is a sustained demand for food scientists and industries. In this work, for the first time, we prepared a curcumin (CUR)-loaded starch-based fastdissolving nanofiber by electrospinning technology. This green nanofiber was obtained by incorporating CUR with octenyl succinic anhydride starch (OSA) and pullulan (PUL) matrix using pure water as the solvent. To overcome the poor water-solubility and bioavailability of CUR, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP beta CD) was used to form inclusion complexes. Phase solubility test results showed that by introducing HP beta CD, the watersolubility of CUR was obviously improved. The prepared electrospun nanofibers were systematically characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), encapsulation efficiency testing, solubility testing and antioxidant activity testing. The results demonstrated that CUR was well encapsulated into HP beta CD and OSA/PUL/CURHP beta CD electrospun nanofibers with fine morphology and fast-dissolving character were successfully prepared. It is worth noting that the whole process and raw materials were green, suggesting that the prepared fast-dissolving nanofiber has great application potential in the food and pharmaceutical fields.

Automated summary

In this study, a curcumin-loaded starch-based fast-dissolving nanofiber was successfully prepared using electrospinning technology. The addition of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin improved the water-solubility of curcumin, and the encapsulated curcumin showed fine morphology and fast-dissolving character. The green materials and process used in the preparation of this nanofiber suggest its potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.