Table 3.
Effect of NPs characteristics on their stability and potential applications in the food sector.
| Active Compound |
NPs | Encapsulation Conditions | Physical Properties | Outcomes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curcumin | Zein LMW 25–30 kDa |
Electrospray/electrohydrodynamic atomization technique Zein concentration: 2.5% (w/w) Flow rate: 0.15 mL/h Voltage: 14 kV Working distance: 7 cmCurcumin: Zein ratios: 1:500, 1:100, 1:50, 1:20 and 1:10 (w/w) |
NPS: 175–250 nm EE: 85–90% |
Zein compact NPs charged with curcumin, making possible to extend the use of curcumin like a coloring agent in aqueous food products. | [28] |
| DHBA, PA, and RA | Chitosan: LMW: 107 kDa, 0.2% (w/v) HMW: 624 kDa, 0.4% (w/v) |
Ionic gelation RA 0.6% (w/v); PA 0.3% (w/v); DHBA 0.3% (w/v) |
LMW and HMW showed, respectively: NPS: 356–374 nm and 511–604.2 nm PDI: 0.22–0.23 and 0.15–0.20 ZP: 28–30 mV and 22.9–31.1 mV pH: 5.0–5.7 and 5.2–5.5 |
NPs produced with HMW chitosan produced higher values of inhibition. E. coli and B. cereus were the most susceptible to NPs. |
[29] |
| D-limonene | Pectin-whey protein nanocomplexes | Whey proteins (4, 6 and 8% w/w) Pectin (0.5, 0.75 and 1% w/w) |
Spherical NPs NPS: 160 nm EE: 88% ZP: −0.53 mV pH = 3 |
The resulted NPs can be used in food products such as cakes, muffins, biscuits and juices. These NPs protected flavoring during processing and storage, and also its release can be controlled. | [26] |
| Epigallocatechin gallate | Chitosan/ β-lactoglobulin NPs |
EG (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg) Chitosan (1.0–2.0 mg/mL) β-Lg (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/mL) |
NPS: 193.8–289.2 nm EE: 40–60% PDI: 0.13–0.21 ZP: 28.3–24.9 mV pH 6.0–7.0 |
Double-walled chitosan/β-Lg NPs. Prolonged release capabilities and excellent adhesion properties of could enhance the effective absorption of these NPs in the human intestine. |
[24] |
| Eugenol | Zein-caseinate-pectin complex | Spray drying | NPS: 140 nm pH 6.6 |
NPs with spherical shape. Caseinate allowed it to stabilize complex NPs during spray drying and storage. |
[30] |
| Guabiroba fruit | PLGA | PLGA-lactic: glycolic acid ratio: 65:35 or 50:50 (MW 40,000–75,000 g/mol) |
NPS: 202.5–243.8 nm PDI: 0.37–0.43 |
PLGA NPs can be used as a delivery system for phenolic compounds at levels lower than originally required for enhanced functional properties. | [31] |
| Quercetin | Chitosan-alginate | NP1: Sodium alginate (3 mg/mL); calcium chloride (3.35 mg/mL); chitosan (0.75 mg/mL). NP2: Chitosan solution (3 mg/mL); calcium chloride; sodium alginate (0.75 mg/mL) |
NPS: ≅400–600 nm ZP: −30 to + 30 mV |
NPs prepared with higher concentration of sodium alginate displayed smaller size and negative values for ZP. NPs showed low or absent toxicity in different cell models in vitro and better protection against oxidative stress than free quercetin. | [32] |
| Thymol | Zein stabilized with sodium caseinate and chitosan hydrochloride | Thymol: zein ratios: 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 2:1 |
NPS: ≅520 nm EE: 80.51–82.89% PDI: 0.16–0.24 IP: 6.18 to 5.05 ZP: 64.45 mV pH ≅4.3 |
Increase of EE. | [33] |
β-Lg: β-lactoglobulin; DHBA: 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid; EE: Encapsulation efficiency; EG: Epigallocatechin gallate; HMW: High molecular weight; IP: Isoelectric point; LMW: Low molecular weight; NPs: Nanoparticles; NPS: Nanoparticle size; PA: Protocatechuic acid; PDI: Polydispersity index; PLGA: Poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic) acid; RA: Rosmarinic acid; ZP: Zeta potential.