Mankan Erkan, Sagdic Osman, Karadag Ayse
Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, Davutpasa, Istanbul 34210, Turkey.
Trustlife Labs Drug Research & Development Center, Istanbul 34774, Turkey.
Foods. 2025 Sep 10;14(18):3157. doi: 10.3390/foods14183157.
Curcumin, a bioactive polyphenol from turmeric, faces significant challenges in food and pharmaceutical applications due to its poor water solubility, low stability, and limited bioavailability. In this study, curcumin-lecithin complexes (phytosomes) were spray-dried using maltodextrin as the carrier polymer to produce free-flowing powders with improved physicochemical properties. The powders were characterized based on moisture content, particle size, morphology, curcumin loading, thermal behavior, and stability under simulated gastrointestinal and thermal conditions. The lecithin-curcumin complexes exhibited high entrapment efficiency (up to 94%), a predominantly amorphous structure, and improved thermal and digestive stability compared to free curcumin. Particle size and wettability were influenced by carrier and curcumin ratios, with maltodextrin enhancing powder flowability and apparent solubility. Morphological analyses revealed spherical particles with core-shell structures, confirming successful complexation. The complexes protected curcumin from degradation at intestinal pH and elevated temperatures, highlighting their potential for enhanced bioavailability. These findings demonstrate that spray-dried curcumin-lecithin complexes with maltodextrin carriers offer a promising strategy to overcome curcumin's solubility and stability limitations, supporting their application in functional foods and pharmaceuticals.
姜黄素是一种从姜黄中提取的生物活性多酚，由于其水溶性差、稳定性低和生物利用度有限，在食品和制药应用中面临重大挑战。在本研究中，以麦芽糊精作为载体聚合物对姜黄素-卵磷脂复合物（植物脂质体）进行喷雾干燥，以制备具有改善物理化学性质的自由流动粉末。基于水分含量、粒径、形态、姜黄素负载量、热行为以及在模拟胃肠道和热条件下的稳定性对粉末进行了表征。与游离姜黄素相比，卵磷脂-姜黄素复合物表现出高包封效率（高达94%）、主要为无定形结构以及改善的热稳定性和消化稳定性。粒径和润湿性受载体与姜黄素比例的影响，麦芽糊精可提高粉末的流动性和表观溶解度。形态分析揭示了具有核壳结构的球形颗粒，证实了成功的络合。这些复合物可保护姜黄素在肠道pH值和高温下不发生降解，突出了它们提高生物利用度的潜力。这些发现表明，用麦芽糊精载体喷雾干燥的姜黄素-卵磷脂复合物提供了一种有前景的策略，可克服姜黄素的溶解度和稳定性限制，支持它们在功能性食品和制药中的应用。
