Inclusion of curcumin in b-cyclodextrin: a promising prospective as food ingredient

In the present work, the inclusion complexes between curcumin (CC) and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) were obtained through co-precipitation at different times of magnetic stirring and simple mixing. The stoichiometric ratio between CC and beta-CD was ascertained to be 1:2. The samples prepared by co-precipitation (24 h magnetic stirring and 24 h cold static precipitation) and by simple mixing, showed the best performance in terms of powder recovery (72 and 97%, respectively), encapsulation efficiency (72 and 95%, respectively) and tinting power, while no significant differences were revealed in terms of loading capacity (about 14%). Using either inclusion method, the complexation of CC into beta-CD make the colorant 20-fold more water soluble than pure CC. The pigment stability was also enhanced under different storage conditions (high temperature and light exposure), either when applied in liquid or gel state. However, after 30 days under natural light exposure, an appreciable colour change from yellow to orange was revealed to an extent probably perceptible by an inexperienced observer.

Automated summary

In this study, inclusion complexes between curcumin and beta-cyclodextrin were formed using co-precipitation and simple mixing methods. The samples prepared through co-precipitation and simple mixing showed the best performance in terms of powder recovery, encapsulation efficiency, and tinting power. The inclusion of curcumin into beta-cyclodextrin increased the water solubility of the colorant by 20 times and enhanced its stability under different storage conditions.