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In this work, the effect of β-sitosterol (Sito) on vesicle characteristics, physicochemical stability as well as the in vitro release and bioavailability of curcumin-loaded liposomes (Cur-LP) was studied. When 20-33 mol% of Sito was incorporated, encapsulation efficiency of curcumin was improved due to the high amount of liquid-ordered domains in membranes. At 50 mol% Sito a lower encapsulation efficiency was observed possibly due to membrane defects. The physical, thermal and photo stability of curcumin in liposomes were markedly improved with increasing the amount of Sito. First-order kinetics fitted best the curcumin release dynamics of Sito containing liposomes, clearly showing that sustained release improved with increasing amounts of Sito in liposomes. Simulated digestion studies suggested that Sito concentration of about 20-33 mol% improved the bioavailability of curcumin in liposomes. These study shows that Sito is an applicable and potential route in forming healthier cholesterol-free curcumin-loaded liposomes for functional supplements., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In order to explore the formation mechanism of the emulsion gel induced by high pressure processing (HPP) and its encapsulation and protection of functional ingredients, a curcumin-loaded whey protein isolate (WPI)/κ-carrageenan (κ-CG) composite emulsion gel induced by HPP was prepared. The effect of pressure (400, 500 and 600 MPa), holding time (10, 20 and 30 min) and concentration of κ-CG (0.8%, 1.0% and 1.2%, w/v) on the swelling rate, gel strength, the stability of curcumin in the emulsion gel, water distribution and its mobility, as well as the contents of interface protein were characterized. The results showed that the addition of κ-CG significantly reduced the protein concentration required for the formation of emulsion gel induced by HPP and greatly reduced the swelling rate of the emulsion gel. The gel strength and storage stability of the composite emulsion gels increased with the increase in pressure (400–600 MPa) and holding time (10–30 min). When the pressure increased to 500 MPa, the stability of curcumin in the emulsion gel significantly improved. When the ratio of WPI to κ-CG was 12:1 (the κ-CG concentration was 1.0%), both the photochemical and thermal stability of curcumin were higher than those of the other two ratios. The HPP significantly increased the mobility of monolayer water in the system, while the mobility of multilayer water and immobilized water was significantly reduced. Increasing the holding time and the concentration of κ-CG both can result in an increase in the interfacial protein content in the oil/water system, and the HPP treatment had a significant effect on the composition of the interfacial protein of the emulsion gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin is a natural food coloring agent with many pharmacological effects such as anti-oxidation and anti-cancer. In this study, curcumin was dissolved in different oil phases (medium chain triglyceride, canola oil and linseed oil) by different treatments (heat, ultrasonic and microwave). Curcumin nanoemulsions stabilized by different emulsifiers (Tween-80, lecithin, whey protein isolation and acacia) with different concentrations were prepared using high pressure homogenization to evaluate physicochemical properties including curcumin content, particle size, potential, physical stability and storage stability (variation of curcumin content and particle size under different temperatures in 60 days). The increase in oil phase concentration caused increase in curcumin content, particle size and viscosity of the emulsions but decrease in stability. Meanwhile, temperature significantly affected the stability of nanoemulsion stabilized by lecithin instead of Tween-80. Curcumin nanoemulsion could achieve the maximum curcumin content when choosing medium chain triglyceride as its oil phase. These results may broaden the application of curcumin in food industry for improving its solubility and bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]