Functional improvement of (−)-epicatechin gallate and piceatannol through combined binding to β-lactoglobulin: Enhanced effect of heat treatment and nanoencapsulation
Yongfang Ren, Tingting Liu, He Liu, Yihao Zhu, Xin Qi, Xiaofan Liu, Yanna Zhao, Yushu Wu, Ning Zhang, Min Liu
Abstract
Several polyphenol compounds commonly found in plant foods provide health benefits that promote their applications in food and pharmaceutical fields. The co-loading of proteins can improve the biological activity and synergy of combined polyphenols. Herein, multi-spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking were employed to investigate the interactions of native/heat treated β-lactoglobulin (β-LG/H-β-LG) with (−)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and/or piceatannol (PIC). Furthermore, the synergistic antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of ECG and PIC were demonstrated. The loading of β-LG/H-β-LG protected the antioxidant activity of ECG and PIC in the delivery systems and enhanced their cytotoxicity, stability, and bioaccessibility. Compared to the corresponding complexes, the nanoparticles of β-LG/H-β-LG had a greater impact on the functional properties and synergistic effects of ECG and PIC. The experimental results may provide a theoretical basis for the practical application of ECG and PIC co-loaded by H-β-LG, particularly H-β-LG nanoparticles in the food and pharmaceutical industries.