Konjac glucomannan octenyl succinate as a novel encapsulation wall material to improve curcumin stability and bioavailability

Curcumin has been extensively used in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its high biological activity. However, its instability and poor aqueous solubility result in low oral bioavailability, so developing an appropriate microcapsule wall material is crucial for the effective use of this ingredient. In this study, a curcumin-loaded konjac glucomannan octenyl succinate (CKGOS) nanoemulsion with a high loading capacity (1.25 +/- 0.03 mg/mL) was prepared. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction suggested that curcumin was successfully encapsulated into the nanoparticles. The observed self-aggregating morphology indicated that CKGOS particles were spherical with a rough matte edge morphology. Both in vitro and in vivo stability tests indicated that KGOS could provide good protection for curcumin and furnish colon-targeted delivery. In addition, CKGOS has great potential in food processing applications because it shows good thermal processing and storage stability.