Bioactive evaluation and application of different formulations of the natural colorant curcumin (E100) in a hydrophilic matrix (yogurt)
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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Formulation and Characterization of Bioactive Agent Containing Nanodisks
Published on: March 17, 2023
Heloísa H S Almeida1, Lillian Barros2, João C M Barreira2
1Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering - Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials (LSRE-LCM), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus Santa Apolónia, 5301-857 Bragança, Portugal; Post-Graduation Program of Food Technology (PPGTA), Federal University of Technology - Paraná - UTFPR, Campus Campo Mourão, via Rosalina Maria dos Santos, 1233, CEP 87301-899, Caixa Postal: 271, Campo Mourão, PR, Brazil.
Abstract:
Curcumin (E100) is a natural colorant that, besides conferring color, has bioactivity, serving as an alternative to some artificial colorants. As a hydrophobic colorant, its modification/compatibilization with the aqueous medium is required to improve stability and enable its application in hydrophilic food matrices. Herein, different formulations of curcumin (curcumin powder: PC, water-dispersible curcumin: DC: and nanoencapsulated curcumin: NC) were evaluated as yogurt colorants. PC showed the strongest bioactivity in all assays (EC50 values: 63 ± 2 to 7.9 ± 0.1 μg.mL-1; GI50 values: 48 ± 1 to 17 ± 1 μg.mL-1 and MIC values: 0.0625 to 0.5 mg.mL-1), which might indicate that DC and NC reduce the short-term accessibility to curcumin. The tested curcumin formulations produced yogurts with different appearance, specifically associated with their color parameters, besides presenting slight changes in nutritional composition and free sugars and fatty acids profiles. The water compatible formulations (DC and NC) showed advantages over hydrophobic (PC) having a wider industrial utilization.
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