The oral delivery strategy of natural anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents has attracted great attention to improve the effectiveness of ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment. Herein, we developed a novel orally deliverable nanoparticle, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC)-modified astaxanthin (AXT)-loaded nanoparticles (CMC-AXT-NPs), for UC treatment. The CMC-AXT-NPs were evaluated by appearance, morphology, particle size, ζ-potential, and encapsulation efficiency (EE). The results showed that CMC-AXT-NPs were nearly spherical in shape with a particle size of 34.5 nm and ζ-potential of −30.8 mV, and the EE of CMC-AXT-NPs was as high as 95.03%. The CMC-AXT-NPs exhibited preferable storage stability over time and well-controlled drug-release properties in simulated intestinal fluid. Additionally, in vitro studies revealed that CMC-AXT-NPs remarkably inhibited cytotoxicity induced by LPS and demonstrated superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities in Raw264.7 cells. Furthermore, CMC-AXT-NPs effectively alleviated clinical symptoms of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS), including maintaining body weight, inhibiting colon shortening, and reducing fecal bleeding. Importantly, CMC-AXT-NPs suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and ameliorated DSS-induced oxidative damage. Our results demonstrated the potential of CMC-modified nanoparticles as an oral delivery system and suggested these novel AXT nanoparticles could be a promising strategy for UC treatment.

A reliable strategy for improving the stability and shelf life of protein-stabilized systems is by covalently attaching the protein onto a polysaccharide. In this study, ovalbumin (OVA) was modified with dextran (DEX) of different molecular weights by the Maillard reaction, and was used to enhance the stability of emulsions loaded with resveratrol. The surface hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and FT-IR spectroscopy of the OVA–DEX conjugates were evaluated. The results showed that the surface hydrophobicity of OVA decreased, while the thermal stability of OVA was significantly improved after DEX covalent modification. The OVA–DEX1k-stabilized emulsion exhibited high encapsulation efficiency of resveratrol, with the value of 89.0%. In addition, OVA–DEX was considerably more effective in droplet stabilization against different environmental stresses (heat, pH, and ionic strength). After 28 days of storage at 25 °C, the OVA-stabilized emulsion showed faster decomposition of resveratrol, whereas the OVA–DEX-conjugate-stabilized emulsion had approximately 73% retention of resveratrol. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of resveratrol-loaded emulsions stabilized by OVA–DEX was higher during storage under different temperatures. These results proved that the OVA–DEX conjugates had the potential to form stable, food-grade emulsion-based delivery systems against environmental stresses, which strongly supports their potential in the field of food and biomedical applications.

This study aimed to fabricate an active film incorporating limonin (LM) and resveratrol (RES) within a zein/shellac (ZS) matrix for use in strawberry preservation. Zein/shellac composite films embedded with varying concentrations of LM (0–4% w/w) and RES were successfully fabricated using coaxial electrospinning. The prepared films were comprehensively characterized for their mechanical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP), and antibacterial efficacy against E. coli and S. aureus. Mechanical properties and WVP results revealed that the ZSLM4R film exhibited an elongation at break (EBA) of 28.91%, tensile strength (TS) of 0.93 MPa, elastic modulus (EM) of 40.76 MPa, and a WVP of 1.55 g mm/m². h. kPa. Furthermore, LM and RES increased the antioxidant properties of the composite film. ZSLM4R’s free radical scavenging activities against DPPH and ABTS were 68.14% and 89.69%, respectively. The composite film also demonstrated strong antibacterial efficacy against E. coli and S. aureus. When applied to strawberries, ZSLM4R packaging effectively extended the fruit’s shelf life compared to the unwrapped and commercial polyethylene (PE) controls. These obtained results indicate that LM/RES-incorporated zein/shellac composites are a promising eco-friendly packaging alternative for preserving perishable fresh produce and extending its shelf life.