Pectin coating improves physicochemical properties of caseinate/zein nanoparticles as oral delivery vehicles for curcumin

In this study, pectin was applied as a carbohydrate-based coating to improve physicochemical stability of sodium caseinate/zein (CZ) complex protein nanoparticles. Pectin coating was achieved via a pH- and heating-induced facile electrostatic adsorption process. The effect of pectin coating was tested on two different nanoparticle structures, i.e. solid and hollow CZ nanoparticles. The inter- and intra-molecular interactions between proteins and pectin were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy. Pectin coating significantly improved the stability of nanoparticles under gastrointestinal conditions, showing minimal change in particle size and polydispersity. Our results showed that pectin coating not only significantly increased the capability of protein nanoparticles to encapsulate curcumin and but also provided sustained release under gastrointestinal conditions. Pectin-coated CZ nanoparticles demonstrated exceptional stability by maintaining their morphology before and after freeze-drying. Therefore, pectin coating is an effective strategy to potentially realize practical applications of protein nanoparticles as oral delivery vehicles.