Beta casein-micelle as a nano vehicle for solubility enhancement of curcumin; food industry application

Improved Bioavailability of Curcumin in Gliadin-Protected Gold Quantum Cluster for Targeted Delivery

This study deals with the synthesis of a gliadin-stabilized gold quantum cluster (AuQC) for the encapsulation of curcumin (CUR) and its targeted delivery to the cancer cell. CUR is an anticancer drug containing a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa. The utilization of CUR in cancer treatment is limited because of suboptimal pharmacokinetics and poor bioavailability at the tumor site. In order to improve the bioavailability of CUR, we have encapsulated it into AuQCs stabilized by a proline-rich protein gliadin because proline-rich protein has the ability to bind a hydrophobic drug CUR. The encapsulation of CUR into the hydrophobic cavity of the protein was confirmed by various spectroscopic techniques. Compared to CUR alone, the encapsulated CUR was stable against degradation and showed higher pH stability up to pH 8.5. The encapsulation efficiency of CUR in AuQCs was calculated as 98%, which was much higher than the other reported methods. In vitro drug release experiment exhibited a controlled and pH-dependent CUR release over a period of 60 h. The encapsulated CUR-QCs exhibited less toxicity in the normal cell line (L929) and high toxicity in breast cancer (MDA-MB239). Thus, it can be used as a potential material for anticancer therapy and bioimaging.

Curcumin and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Prevention and Treatment

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an ensemble of metabolic diseases that has reached pandemic dimensions all over the world. The multifactorial nature of the pathology makes patient management, which includes lifelong drug therapy and lifestyle modification, extremely challenging. It is well known that T2DM is a preventable disease, therefore lowering the incidence of new T2DM cases could be a key strategy to reduce the global impact of diabetes. Currently, there is growing evidence on the efficacy of the use of medicinal plants supplements for T2DM prevention and management. Among these medicinal plants, curcumin is gaining a growing interest in the scientific community. Curcumin is a bioactive molecule present in the rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant, also known as turmeric. Curcumin has different pharmacological and biological effects that have been described by both in vitro and in vivo studies, and include antioxidant, cardio-protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, nephro-protective, anti-neoplastic, hepato-protective, immunomodulatory, hypoglycaemic and anti-rheumatic effects. In animal models, curcumin extract delays diabetes development, improves β-cell functions, prevents β-cell death, and decreases insulin resistance. The present review focuses on pre-clinical and clinical trials on curcumin supplementation in T2DM and discusses the peculiar mechanisms by which curcumin might ameliorate diabetes management.

Self-Assembled Micelles Based on OSA-Modified Starches for Enhancing Solubility of β-Carotene: Effect of Starch Macromolecular Architecture

Self-assembled micelles based on octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)-modified starch were prepared to enhance the solubility of β-carotene. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) was lower for OSA-modified starch with a lower molecular weight (Mw) or higher degree of substitution (DS). Above the CMC, OSA-modified starch assembled into spherical micelles with an average hydrodynamic diameter of <20 nm, as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). All the radii of gyration ( R_g), obtained from Guinier fitting of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data, were between 3 and 9 nm, and they were positively correlated with the Mw but negatively correlated with both the DS and the starch concentration. β-Carotene was encapsulated effectively into the starch micelles, and the concentration of β-carotene in the micelles was positively correlated with the concentration, Mw, and DS of the starch, with a maximum value of 53.14 μg/mL. The incorporation of β-carotene enlarged the hydrophobic core and induced a significant increase in the R_g of the micelles determined by SAXS, and it may have also promoted the aggregation of the micelles resulting in a marked increase in the D_h determined by DLS.

Novel Soy β-Conglycinin Core-Shell Nanoparticles As Outstanding Ecofriendly Nanocarriers for Curcumin

The development of high-performance nanocarriers for nutraceuticals or drugs has become one of the topical research subjects in the functional food fields. In this work, we for the first time propose a novel and ecofriendly process to obtain a kind of nanostructured soy β-conglycinin (β-CG; a major soy storage globulin) as outstanding nanocarriers for poorly soluble bioactives (e.g., curcumin), by a urea-assisted disassembly and reassembly strategy. At urea concentrations > 4 M, the structure of β-CG gradually dissociated into its separate subunits (α, α', and β) and even denatured (depending on the type of subunits); after dialysis to remove urea, the dissociated subunits would reassemble into a kind of core-shell nanostructured particles, in which aggregated β-subunits acted as the core while the shell layer was mainly composed of α- and α'-subunits. The core-shell nanoparticles were favorably formed at protein concentrations of 1.0-2.0 wt %. Curcumin crystals were directly introduced into the β-CG solution at high urea concentrations (e.g., 8 M) and would preferentially interact with the denatured β-subunits. As a consequence, almost all of the curcumin molecules were encapsulated in the core part of the reassembled core-shell nanoparticles. The loading amount of curcumin in these nanoparticles could reach 18 g of curcumin per 100 g of protein, which far exceeds those reported previously. The encapsulated curcumin exhibited a high water solubility, extraordinary thermal stability, and improved bioaccessibility, as well as a sustained release behavior. The findings provide a novel strategy to fabricate a kind of high-encapsulation-performance, organic solvent-free, and biocompatible nanocarrier for hydrophobic nutraceuticals and drugs.

The nanotech potential of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) in food technology: A review

New trends in food are emerging in response to consumer awareness of the relationship between food and health, which has triggered the need to generate new alternatives that meet the expectations of the market. Revolutionary fields such as nanotechnology have been used for the encapsulation of nutritional ingredients and have great potential for the management of food additives derived from fruits and plant species. Turmeric, a spice that has been used as a dyeing agent, is recognized for its properties in Ayurveda medicine. This article aims to provide an overview of the characteristics of turmeric as an ingredient for the food industry, including its properties as a coloring agent, antioxidant, and functional ingredient. This article also highlights the potential of nanotechnology to enhance these properties of turmeric and increase the possibilities for the application of its components, such as cellulose and starch, in the development of nanostructures for food development.

Nanostructured Materials for Food Applications: Spectroscopy, Microscopy and Physical Properties

Nanotechnology deals with matter of atomic or molecular scale. Other factors that define the character of a nanoparticle are its physical and chemical properties, such as surface area, surface charge, hydrophobicity of the surface, thermal stability of the nanoparticle and its antimicrobial activity. A nanoparticle is usually characterized by using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Microscopic techniques are used to characterise the size, shape and location of the nanoparticle by producing an image of the individual nanoparticle. Several techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy/high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) have been developed to observe and characterise the surface and structural properties of nanostructured material. Spectroscopic techniques are used to study the interaction of a nanoparticle with electromagnetic radiations as the function of wavelength, such as Raman spectroscopy, UV–Visible spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), dynamic light scattering spectroscopy (DLS), Zeta potential spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. Nanostructured materials have a wide application in the food industry as nanofood, nano-encapsulated probiotics, edible nano-coatings and in active and smart packaging.

Protein/ Hormone Based Nanoparticles as Carriers for Drugs Targeting Protein-Protein Interactions

BACKGROUND

In this review, protein-protein interactions (PPIs) were defined, and their behaviors in normal in disease conditions are discussed. Their status at nuclear, molecular and cellular level was underscored, as for their interference in many diseases. Finally, the use of protein nanoscale structures as possible carriers for drugs targeting PPIs was highlighted.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review is to suggest a novel approach for targeting PPIs. By using protein nanospheres and nanocapsules, a promising field of study can be emerged.

METHODS

To solidify this argument, PPIs and their biological significance was discussed, same as their role in hormone signaling.

RESULTS

We shed the light on the drugs that targets PPI and we suggested the use of nanovectors to encapsulate these drugs to possibly achieve better results.

CONCLUSION

Protein based nanoparticles, due to their advantages, can be suitable carriers for drugs targeting PPIs. This can open a new opportunity in the emerging field of multifunctional therapeutics.

A Review of Curcumin and Its Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world and one of the major public health problems. Despite the great advances in cancer therapy, the incidence and mortality rates of cancer remain high. Therefore, the quest for more efficient and less toxic cancer treatment strategies is still at the forefront of current research. Curcumin, the active ingredient of the Curcuma longa plant, has received great attention over the past two decades as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer agent. In this review, a summary of the medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of curcumin and its derivatives in regard to anticancer activity, their main mechanisms of action, and cellular targets has been provided based on the literature data from the experimental and clinical evaluation of curcumin in cancer cell lines, animal models, and human subjects. In addition, the recent advances in the drug delivery systems for curcumin delivery to cancer cells have been highlighted.

Colloidal properties of protein complexes formed in β-casein concentrate solutions as influenced by heating and cooling in the presence of different solutes

Monomeric bovine β-casein self-associates into micelles under appropriate conditions of protein concentration, serum composition and temperature. The present study investigated self-association characteristics of a β-casein concentrate (BCC) prepared from milk at pilot-scale using membrane filtration. The BCC had a casein:whey protein ratio of 77:23, with ∼95% of casein consisting of β-casein, and the remainder being mostly κ-CN. BCC was reconstituted to 1.2% protein (a typical level in infant formula) in various liquid media at pH 6.8 and incubated at different temperatures from 4 to 63 °C for 30 min. Self-association of β-casein on heating was thermo-reversible in deionised water, lactose (4, 6 or 8%) or calcium (9 mM) solutions. In most serum phases, BCC became highly opaque after incubation at 63 °C, but clarified rapidly during cooling to 25 °C. However, in simulated milk ultrafiltrate (SMUF), which has a high ionic strength and is supersaturated in calcium phosphate (CaP), BCC remained opaque during cooling to 25 °C, and retained residual turbidity after 15 h of holding at 4 °C; if SMUF was prepared without phosphate then turbidity development in BCC solutions was markedly reduced. The complexes responsible for this turbidity development were successfully dissociated with 50 mM trisodium citrate. Analysis of pH during heating and holding at 60 °C indicated that SMUF acidified continuously under the period of study, while acidification in BCC/SMUF mixtures terminated after a short period, indicating that the type of CaP formed on heating is altered in the presence of BCC. This study demonstrates that BCC ingredients exhibit pronounced temperature-dependant changes in colloidal properties that are strongly affected by the presence of minerals commonly found in nutritional product formulations.

Development of casein-based nanoencapsulation systems for delivery of epigallocatechin gallate and folic acid

In this work, binding characteristics of two hydrophilic nutraceutical models, namely epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and folic acid (FA), to sodium caseinate were studied by fluorimetry technique. EGCG-loaded casein molecules were then converted to either re-combined casein micelles (r-CMs) or casein nanoparticles (CNPs). Binding stoichiometry of EGCG and FA was 0.81 and 1.02, respectively. As determined by DLS technique, the average particle size of r-CMs prepared at 0.5% concentration was 66.2 nm. Thermal treatment (74°C, 20 s) had significant (p < 0.05) influence on the particle size of nanocarriers, but not nutraceutical loading. The average size of CNPs was larger than that of r-CMs. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of EGCG was 85%, and its ejection from the nanocarrier was less than 3% over 21 days. Alkaline conditions resulted in higher release of EGCG than acidic conditions. r-CMs were more effective than CNPs during the protection of EGCG against heat-induced degradation. TEM micrographs confirmed the formation of r-CMs.

A biomolecule-assisted one-pot synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and its bioconjugate with curcumin for potential multifaceted therapeutic applications

Biodegradable ZnO nanoparticles with excellent biocompatibility prepared via a biogenic process have great potential as therapeutic agent-cum-drug carriers for cancer treatment.

The construction of enzymolyzed α-lactalbumin based micellar nanoassemblies for encapsulating various kinds of hydrophobic bioactive compounds

Protein-based nanoassemblies can encapsulate hydrophobic compounds into their hydrophobic region and effectively improve their aqueous solubility and stability.

A systematic review on nanoencapsulation of food bioactive ingredients and nutraceuticals by various nanocarriers

Today, there is an ever-growing interest on natural food ingredients both by consumers and producers in the food industry. In fact, people are looking for those products in the market which are free from artificial and synthetic additives and can promote their health. These food bioactive ingredients should be formulated in such a way that protects them against harsh process and environmental conditions and safely could be delivered to the target organs and cells. Nanoencapsulation is a perfect strategy for this situation and there have been many studies in recent years for nanoencapsulation of food components and nutraceuticals by different technologies. In this review paper, our main goal is firstly to have an overview of nanoencapsulation techniques applicable to food ingredients in a systematic classification, i.e., lipid-based nanocarriers, nature-inspired nanocarriers, special-equipment-based nanocarriers, biopolymer nanocarriers, and other miscellaneous nanocarriers. Then, application of these cutting-edge nanocarriers for different nutraceuticals including phenolic compounds and antioxidants, natural food colorants, antimicrobial agents and essential oils, vitamins, minerals, flavors, fish oils and essential fatty acids will be discussed along with presenting some examples in each field.

Calculation of the water-octanol partition coefficient of cholesterol for SPC, TIP3P, and TIP4P water

We present a numerical study of the relative solubility of cholesterol in octanol and water. Our calculations allow us to compare the accuracy of the computed values of the excess chemical potential of cholesterol for several widely used water models (SPC, TIP3P, and TIP4P). We compute the excess solvation free energies by means of a cavity-based method [L. Li et al., J. Chem. Phys. 146(21), 214110 (2017)] which allows for the calculation of the excess chemical potential of a large molecule in a dense solvent phase. For the calculation of the relative solubility ("partition coefficient," log₁₀ P o / w ) of cholesterol between octanol and water, we use the OPLS/AA force field in combination with the SPC, TIP3P, and TIP4P water models. For all water models studied, our results reproduce the experimental observation that cholesterol is less soluble in water than in octanol. While the experimental value for the partition coefficient is log₁₀ P o / w = 3.7, SPC, TIP3P, and TIP4P give us a value of log₁₀ P o / w = 4.5, 4.6, and 2.9, respectively. Therefore, although the results for the studied water models in combination with the OPLS/AA force field are acceptable, further work to improve the accuracy of current force fields is needed.

Biological evaluations of newly-designed Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes using spectroscopic and molecular docking approaches

To perform biological evaluations of newly-designed Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes, the present study was conducted with targeted protein human serum albumin (HSA) and HCT116 cell line as model of human colorectal carcinoma. The binding of Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes to HSA was analyzed using fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking. The thermal stability and alterations in the secondary structure of HSA in the presence of Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes were investigated using the thermal denaturation method and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of the Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes was studied against the HCT116 cell line using MTT assay. The binding analysis revealed that the fluorescence findings were well in agreement with docking results such that there is only one binding site for each complex on HSA. Binding constants of 8.7 × 10³ M^-1, 2.65 × 10³ M^-1, 0.3 × 10³ M^-1, and 4.4 × 10³ M^-1 were determined for Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes (I-IV) at temperature of 25 °C, respectively. Also, binding constants of 1.9 × 10³ M^-1, 15.17 × 10³ M^-1, 1.9 × 10³ M^-1, and 13.1 × 10³ M^-1 were determined for Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes (I-IV) at temperature of 37 °C, respectively. The results of CD and thermal denaturation showed that the molecular structure of HSA affected by interaction with Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes is stable. Cytotoxicity studies represented the growth suppression effect of the Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes toward the human colorectal carcinoma cell line. Therefore, the results suggest that the new designed Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes are well promising candidates for use in cancer treatment, particularly for human colorectal cancer. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Impact of Delivery System Type on Curcumin Bioaccessibility: Comparison of Curcumin-Loaded Nanoemulsions with Commercial Curcumin Supplements

In this study, nanoemulsion-based delivery systems fabricated using three different methods were compared with three commercially available curcumin supplements. Powdered curcumin was dispersed into the oil-in-water nanoemulsions using three methods: the conventional oil-loading method, the heat-driven method, and the pH-driven method. The conventional method involved dissolving powdered curcumin in the oil phase (60 °C, 2 h) and then forming a nanoemulsion. The heat-driven method involved forming a nanoemulsion and then adding powdered curcumin and incubating at an elevated temperature (100 °C, 15 min). The pH-driven method involved dissolving curcumin in an alkaline solution (pH 12.5) and then adding this solution to an acidified nanoemulsion (pH 6.0). The three commercial curcumin products were capsules or tablets purchased from an online supplier: Nature Made, Full Spectrum, and CurcuWin. Initially, the encapsulation efficiency of the curcumin in the three nanoemulsions was determined and decreased in the following order: pH-driven (93%) > heat-driven (76%) > conventional (56%) method. The different curcumin formulations were then subjected to a simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) model consisting of mouth, stomach, and small intestine phases. All three nanoemulsions had fairly similar curcumin bioaccessibility values (74-79%) but the absolute amount of curcumin in the mixed micelle phase was highest for the pH-driven method. A comparison of these nanoemulsions and commercial products indicated that the curcumin concentration in the mixed micelles decreased in the following order: CurcuWin ≈ pH-driven method > heat-driven method > conventional method ≫ Full spectrum > Nature Made. This study provides valuable information about the impact of the delivery system type on curcumin bioavailability. It suggests that encapsulating curcumin within small lipid particles may be advantageous for improving its absorption form the GIT.

A comparison among β-caseins purified from milk of different species: Self-assembling behaviour and immunogenicity potential

Caseins are a family of proteins constituted by α-caseins (αs-1 and αs-2 caseins), β-caseins and κ-caseins. β-caseins, in particular, show a temperature and concentration-dependent self-assembling behaviour. Recently, β-casein micelles have been proposed as natural nanocarriers for the delivery of hydrophobic compounds, promoting their bioavailability. Until now, all studies regarding both chemical-physical characterization and applications of β-caseins have employed the protein of bovine origin. However, it could be interesting to exploit the use of β-caseins from other milk sources for their potential encapsulation ability and immunogenicity but, at present, no information on the self-assembling behaviour is available for β-caseins from the milk of species different from bovine. In this work, for the first time, β-caseins from human milk and from donkey, goat, and sheep milk were purified and their self-assembling behaviour was compared to that of a commercial bovine β-casein, the only one for which the concentration and temperature aggregation behaviour is known. Furthermore, a preliminary evaluation of the immunogenicity potential of β-casein from other milk sources has been performed by cross-reaction experiments using anti-β-casein antibodies from bovine origin. The results indicated a similar self-assembling profile among all β-caseins examined compared to the bovine β-casein, suggesting the possible use of β-casein from other milk sources as nanocarriers. Since donkey and human β-casein do not cross-react with bovine anti-β-casein antibodies, they could be particularly interesting for the development of self-assembling systems with lower hypoallergenic potential.

Fabrication of self-assembled Radix Pseudostellariae protein nanoparticles and the entrapment of curcumin

Simulating the process of traditional Chinese medicine decoction, Radix Pseudostellariae protein (RPP)-based nanoparticles were constructed by combining heat treatment with pH adjustment in succession. The formed nanoparticles were characterized as homogeneously dispersed sphere within 100 nm in diameter. With curcumin as a drug model, the potential application of RPP as a nanocarrier was studied. Curcumin could combine to RPP through hydrophobic interaction and quench the intrinsic fluorescence of RPP. Results of X-ray diffraction revealed that the crystal formation of curcumin was suppressed after the formation of nanocomplexes. In addition, the curcumin-loaded nanocomplexes exhibited good thermal stability and the light stability of curcumin was significantly improved. The curcumin-loaded nanocomplexes had stronger reducing power than free curcumin, which displayed additive effect between curcumin and RPP. In summary, the obtained RPP nanoparticles are potential to become new drug delivery carriers in food field and pharmaceutical applications for the encapsulation of hydrophobic components.

Addressing hysteresis and slow equilibration issues in cavity-based calculation of chemical potentials

In this paper, we explore the strengths and weaknesses of a cavity-based method to calculate the excess chemical potential of a large molecular solute in a dense liquid solvent. Use of the cavity alleviates some technical problems associated with the appearance of (integrable) divergences in the integrand during alchemical particle growth. The excess chemical potential calculated using the cavity-based method should be independent of the cavity attributes. However, the performance of the method (equilibration time and the robustness) does depend on the cavity attributes. To illustrate the importance of a suitable choice of the cavity attributes, we calculate the partition coefficient of pyrene in toluene and heptane using a coarse-grained model. We find that a poor choice for the functional form of the cavity may lead to hysteresis between growth and shrinkage of the cavity. Somewhat unexpectedly, we find that, by allowing the cavity to move as a pseudo-particle within the simulation box, the decay time of fluctuations in the integrand of the thermodynamic integration can be reduced by an order of magnitude, thereby increasing the statistical accuracy of the calculation.

Aggregates of octenylsuccinate oat β-glucan as novel capsules to stabilize curcumin over food processing, storage and digestive fluids and to enhance its bioavailability

Self-aggregates of octenylsuccinate oat β-glucan (A_OSG) have been verified as nanocapsules to load curcumin, a representative of hydrophobic phytochemicals. This study primarily investigated the stability of curcumin-loaded A_OSGs over food processing, storage and digestive fluids. Curcumin in A_OSGs showed better stability over storage and thermal treatment than its free form. Curcumin loaded in A_OSGs stored at 4 °C in the dark exhibited higher stability than that at higher temperatures or exposed to light. Approximately 18% of curcumin was lost after five freeze-thaw cycles. Curcumin in A_OSG was more stable than its free form in mimetic intestinal fluids, attesting to the effective protection of A_OSG for curcumin over digestive environments. When curcumin-loaded A_OSG travelled across mimetic gastric and intestinal fluids, curcumin was tightly accommodated in the capsule, while it rapidly escaped as the capsule reached the colon. Interestingly, the curcumin loaded in A_OSG generated higher values of C_max and area under the curve than did its free counterpart. These observations showed that A_OSG is a powerful vehicle for stabilizing hydrophobic phytochemicals in food processing and storage, facilitating their colon-targeted delivery and enhancing their bioavailability.

Alginate-caseinate composites: Molecular interactions and characterization of cross-linked beads for the delivery of anticandidals

Polysaccharide-protein composites offer potential utility for the delivery of drugs. The objectives of this work were to investigate the molecular interactions between sodium alginate (SA) and sodium caseinate (SC) in dispersions and films and to characterize calcium alginate (CA) beads mixed with SC for the delivery of fluconazole (FZ) and clotrimazole (CZ). The results demonstrated that SA could interact with SC, which caused a viscosity synergism in the dispersions. Hydrogen bonding between the carboxyl or hydroxyl groups of SA and the amide groups of SC led to the formation of soluble complexes that could reinforce the CA beads prepared by calcium cross-linking. The SC-CA beads provided higher drug entrapment efficiency, lower water uptake and erosion, and slower drug release than for the CA beads. The loaded FZ was an amorphous form, but CZ crystals were embedded in the bead matrix due to the low water solubility of this drug. However, SC micellization could enhance the water solubility and efficacy of CZ against Candida albicans. This finding indicates that SA can interact with SC via hydrogen bonding to form complexes and that the anticandidal-loaded SC-CA beads can be used as drug delivery systems and drug reservoirs in tablets for oral candidiasis.

Polyelectrolyte Complex Nanoparticles from Chitosan and Acylated Rapeseed Cruciferin Protein for Curcumin Delivery

Curcumin is a polyphenol that exhibits several biological activities, but its low aqueous solubility results in low bioavailability. To improve curcumin bioavailability, this study has focused on developing a polyelectrolyte complexation method to form layer-by-layer assembled nanoparticles, for curcumin delivery, with positively charged chitosan (CS) and negatively charged acylated cruciferin (ACRU), a rapeseed globulin. Nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared from ACRU and CS (2:1) at pH 5.7. Three samples with weight of 5%, 10%, and 15% of curcumin, respectively, in ACRU/CS carrier were prepared. To verify the stability of the NPs, encapsulation efficiency and size of the 5% Cur-ACRU/CS NPs were determined at intervals of 5 days in a one month period. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond formation between the carrier and core. The result showed that hollow ACRU/CS nanocapsules (ACRU/CS NPs) and curcumin-loaded ACRU/CS nanoparticles (Cur-ACRU/CS NPs) were homogenized spherical with average sizes of 200-450 nm and zeta potential of +15 mV. Encapsulation and loading efficiencies were 72% and 5.4%, respectively. In vitro release study using simulated gastro (SGF) and intestinal fluids (SIF) showed controlled release of curcumin in 6 h of exposure. Additionally, the Cur-ACRU/CS NPs are nontoxic to cultured Caco-2 cells, and the permeability assay indicated that Cur-ACRU/CS NPs had improved permeability efficiency of free curcumin through the Caco-2 cell monolayer. The findings suggest that ACRU/CS NPs can be used for encapsulation and delivery of curcumin in functional foods.