Fabrication of COS-Modified Corn Peptide-Lutein Nanoparticles: Enhancement of Stability and Bioactivity

To enhance the stability and bioavailability of lutein (LUT), we developed a novel LUT nanoparticle system (GCPT-LUT) by encapsulating LUT in corn polypeptide glycosylated with chitosan oligosaccharide. The resulting nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited a relatively small size (396 ± 5.18 nm) and good dispersibility (PDI = 0.149). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed that LUT was successfully encapsulated in glycosylated corn peptide, thus forming a stable NP-embedded delivery system. The stability of LUT in GCPT-LUT NPs was markedly improved under various thermal and light stress conditions. Moreover, GCPT-LUT exerted potent antiproliferative activity against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. At a concentration of 128 µg/mL with 72 h of treatment, GCPT-LUT inhibited cell proliferation by 77.86%, which was significantly higher than the inhibition rate of free LUT alone. Flow cytometry analysis, combined with reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays, revealed that GCPT-LUT inhibited cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, and this apoptotic mechanism appears to be associated with ROS generation. In conclusion, glycosylated corn peptide is a promising candidate for development as an efficient delivery carrier for LUT, with potential applications in both the food and pharmaceutical industries.