Cold plasma-functionalized curcumin nanoformulation: stability, sustained release, and enhanced ADH/ALDH activity.

The bioactivity of curcumin (Cur) is limited by its poor stability and tendency to inactivate after oral administration. In this study, zein-fucoidan (FU) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using cold plasma (CP) technology. The results indicated that CP treatment (80 W, 3 min) resulted in more robust bonding between zein, FU, and Cur. The CP-zein-FU NPs exhibited a small particle size (133 nm), a high surface charge (-37.36 mV), enhanced stability, and improved encapsulation (86.14 %) and loading (2.85 %) rates. Hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interactions between the components proved to be enhanced. Notably, the encapsulation of Cur by CP-zein-FU NPs enhanced its stability in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), ensured a sustained-release of Cur in the simulated small intestine, preserved the functional activity of Cur after digestion. Consequently, CP technology proves to be an effective approach for enhancing the encapsulation efficiency, stability, sustained release, and functional activity of Cur/zein-FU NPs.