Preparation and characterization of bovine serum albumin/chitosan composite nanoparticles for delivery of Antarctic krill peptide

Abstract BACKGROUND Antarctic krill peptide (AKP) has gained considerable interest because of its multiple biological functions. However, its application may be limited by its poor stability and susceptibility to degradation. Encapsulation of AKP using a nanoparticle delivery system is an effective way to overcome these problems. In the present study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and chitosan (CS) were used as delivery vehicles to encapsulate AKP. RESULTS The results revealed that the particle size (83.3 ± 4.4–222.4 ± 32.7 nm) and zeta‐potential (35.1 ± 0.7–45.0 ± 2.7 mV) of nanoparticles (NPs) increased with the increasing content of BSA, but the polydispersity index decreased (1.000 ± 0.002 to 0.306 ± 0.011). Hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions were the main forces to form BSA/CS‐AKP NPs. X‐ray diffraction revealed that AKP was encapsulated by BSA/CS. Scanning electron microscopy images exhibited that the NPs were spherical in shape, uniform in size and tightly bound. BSA/CS‐AKP NPs exhibited excellent stability in the pH range (2–5) and after 15 days of storage, and could hinder the release of AKP in simulated gastric environment and promote the release of AKP in simulated intestinal environment. After simulated digestion, the hypoglycemic activity of encapsulated AKP was better than that of unencapsulated AKP. CONCLUSION Our results revealed that the BSA/CS showed great potential for protecting and delivering AKP. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.