Encapsulation and Sustained Release of Quercetin-Loaded pH-Responsive Intelligent Nanovehicles Based on the Coassembly of Pea Protein Isolate and Hyaluronic Acid
Xingnan Wang, Yang Yang, Yanting Chen, Ting Liu, Jingyi Ren, Hongcai Li, Wenzhi Lei, Shiqi Li, Zhenpeng Gao
Abstract
A pea protein isolate (PPI)-hyaluronic acid (HA) nanocarrier delivery system was created for quercetin (Que) encapsulation using the pH conversion strategy. The self-assembly of the PPI-HA binary nanocomplex (HPP) were mainly driven by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Que was successfully encapsulated in HPP nanocomposites (Que@HPP), which exhibited preferable redispersibility, and encapsulation efficiency (87.51%), loading capacity (14.50%). Que@HPP provided superior resistance to external environmental stresses (pH, ionic strength, high temperature, light exposure, and long-term storage), while maintaining its primary antioxidant activity after 15 days. Compared to free Que, the encapsulated Que shifted from a crystalline to an amorphous form, diffusing more easily through nanoparticle pores. Moreover, the encapsulated Que (Que@HPP) were stable in simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH = 1.2) and released slowly in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH = 6.8) compared to naked Que, demonstrating its potential to respond to specific external pH environments. Thus, the fabrication of HPP nanovehicles for Que encapsulation is a viable solution to improve its stability and release behaviors.