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Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs
Published on: July 27, 2022
Improving the water solubility and antimicrobial activity of silymarin by nanoencapsulation
Ji-Soo Lee1, Da Young Hong1, Eun Suh Kim1
1Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 133-791, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
The aims of this study were to improve the water solubility and antimicrobial activity of milk thistle silymarin by nanoencapsulation and to assess the functions of silymarin nanoparticle-containing film as an antimicrobial food-packaging agent. Silymarin nanoparticles were prepared using water-soluble chitosan (WCS) and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA). As the WCS and silymarin concentrations increased, particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) significantly increased. Nanoencapsulation significantly improved the water solubility of silymarin 7.7-fold. Antimicrobial activity of silymarin was effectively improved when silymarin was entrapped within the nanocapsule compared to when it was not entrapped. Films incorporating silymarin nanoparticles had better antimicrobial activity than films incorporating free silymarin. The results suggest that silymarin nanoparticles have applications in antimicrobial food additives and food packing.
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