Fabrication of curcumin-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA)-polymannuronate nanoparticles and the therapeutic effects for ulcerative colitis.

In this study, alginate-derived polymannuronate (PM) was covalently conjugated to Bovine serum albumin (BSA) via the Maillard reaction to increase the stability of BSA nanoparticles (NPs) and improve the delivery efficiency of curcumin (Cur) to alleviate ulcerative colitis (UC). First, the BSA-PM glycoprotein was synthesized and characterized, and its ability to inhibit the heat-induced structural denaturation of BSA was demonstrated. Cur was subsequently encapsulated in the NPs to yield Cur-BSA-PM NPs, which displayed a spherical morphology and demonstrated increased physical stability during storage and under various temperature, pH, and ionic stress conditions compared with Cur-BSA NPs. In a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mouse model, Cur-BSA-PM NPs significantly mitigated the increase in the spleen index. Moreover, Cur-BSA-PM NPs more effectively inhibited tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion in colon tissues. These findings highlight BSA-PM as a promising nanodelivery system for functional foods, offering enhanced nutrient stabilization.