Evaluation of the colloidal/chemical performance of core-shell nanoparticle formed by zein and gum Arabic

To evaluate the performance of biopolymer fabricated nanoparticle under commercial processing conditions, the stability of gum Arabic (GA)-zein-cur (curcumin) colloidal system was recorded and analyzed. The results showed that GA-zein-cur system is colloidal stable in the pH range of 5-8, however, encapsulated curcumin degraded rapidly as long as the pH changes. As for processing temperature, more than 70 degrees C will affect the spatial structure of zein and leading to the leak or exposure of encapsulated curcumin which result in the degradation of curcumin. Na+ has no significant effect on colloidal and chemical performance of nanoparticles while Fe3+ could penetrate the zein nanosphere and compromise curcumin. Results of our work imply that the protein-based core-shell delivery system has advantages in solubilizing the hydrophobic compounds and has certain ability to protect the encapsulated material against the unfavorable environment.