Fabrication and Optimization of Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Lignin Nanoparticles for Curcumin Encapsulation

To develop reversible pH-responsive emulsifiers of natural origin, alkali lignin (AL) was used to develop oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. AL was first modified to synthesize quaternized alkali lignin (QAL), which displayed pH-responsive properties and demonstrated solubility in both acidic and alkaline solutions. In contrast, QAL exhibited insolubility and formed particles in neutral solutions, thereby making it a suitable candidate for utilization as an emulsifier in doubly pH-responsive Pickering emulsions. At pH 5-9, the emulsions were stable. Above or below this pH range, the system demulsifies, resulting in a reversible Pickering emulsifier with two pH-controlled transitions. On the basis of this pH-dependent behavior, lignin-based Pickering emulsions (LPE) could be subjected to several cycles of emulsification-demulsification by alternating the pH of the aqueous phase between basic and acidic, while the droplet size and storage stability were maintained. Curcumin was used as a drug model to study the loading/release behavior of LPE, finding that 50.08% of curcumin could be encapsulated in LPE. The in vitro release of curcumin was pH-dependent. In addition, LPE exhibited an outstanding protective effect against the ultraviolet-induced degradation of curcumin.