Influence of milk fat on the physicochemical property of nanoencapsulated curcumin and enhancement of its biological properties thereof.

Curcumin, bioactive from turmeric Curcuma
longa, has been known for its therapeutic properties. However,
its lipophilic nature and poor bioavailability are the
constraints to harnessing its properties. Encapsulation in
nano-size helps to alleviate the constraints and enhance its
biological properties due to its higher surface area. The study
aims to encapsulate curcumin in a nanometer size range by
solubilizing in lipid (milk fat) and using milk protein as
a water-soluble carrier. The lipid:curcumin ratio (1:0.05,
1:0.1, 1:0.2, 1.5:0.1, 1.5:0.2, 2.0:0.1 and 2:0.2% (w/w)) produced
nanoemulsion with droplets sizes 30–200 nm. The
sample containing lipid: curcumin, as 1.0:0.05 resulted in an
encapsulation efficiency of 92.6%, and its binding interaction
with the carrier, was KD
= 4.7 μM. A high solubility of
curcumin in milk fat and digestion during in vitro lipolysis
increased its bioaccessibility. A simulated gastro-intestinal
in vitro studies showed that cumulative release percentage
of nanoencapsulated curcumin was 60% at pH 7.4 compared
to 0.8% of native curcumin. The anti-microbial property of
nanoencapsulated curcumin was more potent than native
curcumin against food pathogenic organisms such as S.
aureus, B. cereus, E. coli, B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa, P. aeruginosa,
C. violaceum.