Enhanced Curcumin Bioavailability through Nonionic Surfactant/Caseinate Mixed Nanoemulsions.

The potential of heterogeneous systems like oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions is exploited as an oral delivery system for curcumin, a natural lipophilic compound with numerous health benefits. Two types of O/W nanoemulsions, one stabilized by sodium caseinate (Cas-O/W), a surface-active and emulsifying protein, and the other stabilized by a blend of caseinate and Tween 20 (Mix-O/W), were loaded with the bioactive compound and tested through a simulated gastrointestinal digestion process to evaluate their effects on delivering of curcumin. It was first demonstrated that the amount of curcumin solubilized through Mix-O/W nanoemulsion was higher than that in Cas-O/W nanoemulsion.

Effect of the coexistence of sodium caseinate and Tween 20 as stabilizers of food emulsions at acidic pH.

In the present investigation the properties of edible nanoemulsions were studied. Sodium caseinate represents a good candidate for food emulsion preparations thanks to its surface-active properties and because it is perceived as a natural product by consumers. Nevertheless, it is very sensitive to acidic pH close to its isoelectric point and, if used as emulsion stabilizer, this aspect can negatively affect the emulsion stability.