Du Xiaojing, Niu Wenlin, Xin Ying, Lou Tong
National Engineering Research Center of Wheat and Corn Further Processing, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China; College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou Henan, 450001, China.
National Engineering Research Center of Wheat and Corn Further Processing, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China; College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou Henan, 450001, China.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jun;312:144128. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144128. Epub 2025 May 11.
This study aimed to improve the common issue of low bioaccessibility of plant proteins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). A highly soluble peanut-rice composite protein (PP-RP) was prepared using a controlled pH-responsive method and covalently conjugated with varying concentrations of EGCG to form novel ternary composite nanoparticles (PP-RP-EGCG ternary NPs). Spectroscopic, chromatographic and characterization techniques were employed to investigate the interaction mechanisms between the PP-RP complex and EGCG, and the effect of ultrasound treatment on the structural characteristics and properties of the ternary NPs was further explored. The results showed that an increase in EGCG concentration enhanced the ζ-potential and EGCG-binding capacity of the ternary NPs. Morphological analysis confirmed that EGCG successfully formed self-assembled hydrophilic spherical NPs. FT-IR and XRD results indicated that EGCG was successfully incorporated into the PP-RP complex through hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions. Furthermore, ultrasound treatment further promoted the reduction of α-helix and β-turn content in the ternary NPs, decreased the particle size and PDI values, and enhanced thermal stability. These structural changes ultimately resulted in NPs with improved solubility, enhanced emulsifying and antioxidant properties. Therefore, ultrasound treatment enhanced PP-RP-EGCG interaction, improving EGCG stability and functionality, and supporting the development of novel complexes for functional food applications.
本研究旨在改善植物蛋白和表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯（EGCG）生物可及性低这一常见问题。采用可控的pH响应方法制备了一种高溶解性的花生-大米复合蛋白（PP-RP），并将其与不同浓度的EGCG共价结合，形成新型三元复合纳米颗粒（PP-RP-EGCG三元纳米颗粒）。运用光谱、色谱和表征技术研究PP-RP复合物与EGCG之间的相互作用机制，并进一步探究超声处理对三元纳米颗粒结构特征和性质的影响。结果表明，EGCG浓度的增加提高了三元纳米颗粒的ζ电位和EGCG结合能力。形态分析证实，EGCG成功形成了自组装亲水性球形纳米颗粒。傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）和X射线衍射（XRD）结果表明，EGCG通过疏水和氢键相互作用成功地掺入到PP-RP复合物中。此外，超声处理进一步促进了三元纳米颗粒中α-螺旋和β-转角含量的降低，减小了粒径和多分散指数（PDI）值，并提高了热稳定性。这些结构变化最终导致纳米颗粒的溶解性得到改善，乳化和抗氧化性能增强。因此，超声处理增强了PP-RP与EGCG的相互作用, 提高了EGCG的稳定性和功能性，为功能性食品应用新型复合物的开发提供了支持。
