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Published on: March 1, 2024
Digestive enzyme coronas on quercetin-loaded starch nanoparticles: Effects on enzyme activity and bioactive compound
Zhiheng Zhang1, David Julian McClements2, Hangyan Ji1
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, School of Food Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
Abstract:
This study systematically investigated the formation and properties of digestive enzyme coronas on quercetin-loaded starch nanoparticles (QSNP). The nanoparticle size increases from 106.3 ± 3.1 nm (bare QSNP) to 220.6 ± 2.2 nm (α-amylase), 256.0 ± 8.6 nm (pepsin), 291.7 ± 5.7 nm (trypsin), and 218.5 ± 3.1 nm (lipase), indicating enzyme adsorption. FTIR and circular dichroism confirmed structural modifications of enzymes upon nanoparticle binding, including secondary structure alterations. Enzyme interactions were observed: α-amylase targeted amorphous starch regions, while trypsin and lipase formed stable coronas through bile salt mediation. Notably, corona formation differentially modulated enzymatic activity, with α-amylase showing 6-fold inhibition and lipase exhibiting 4-fold activation. Quercetin release was strongly influenced by corona composition, following distinct kinetic models: Fickian diffusion (α-amylase corona, n = 0.43), first-order kinetics (trypsin), and erosion-controlled release (lipase). These findings elucidate enzyme corona effects on starch digestion and nutraceutical release, aiding controlled-delivery system design.
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