Nanoemulsions have been regarded as an excellent strategy to effectively deliver hydrophobic bioactive compounds, such as curcumin, in food products as well as improving bio-accessibility during digestion. However, relatively little research is available on the gastrointestinal behavior of these delivery systems within a complex food matrix. This presentation introduces the impact of gastric digestion behaviour of milk and two dairy gels containing curcumin nanoemulsion on intestinal lipid digestion and the bioaccessibility of curcumin. The gastric empting and the release of oil droplets containing solubilized curcumin into intestinal digestion were influenced by the gel structure and the curd structure formed by milk during gastric digestion. The rennet gel restructured and became denser because of the action of pepsin and the low pH, thus slowing the outflow of both protein and oil droplets from the gel. In contrast, the acid gel experienced rapid protein disintegration under gastric conditions, faster gastric empting. All the milk systems formed a curd under dynamic <i>in vitro</i> gastric conditions induced by pepsin, but distinct characteristics of their curds induced by different preheat treatment influenced the gastric emptying of protein and entrapped emulsified nano oil droplets loading curcumin. The release rate of free fatty acid and the concentration of curcumin during intestinal digestion were linked with the compositional profile of the gastric digesta, while the bioaccessibility of curcumin was influenced by the gel structure and the gastric disintegration of the gels. This work highlights how various food matrix can govern the fate of added health promoting compounds, which significantly affect the functionality and application of these bioactive compounds.

Fate of curcumin-nanoemulsion and the bioaccessibility of curcumin during dynamic <i>in vitro</i> digesiton within complex dairy matrices

ACS Spring 2022

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Fate of curcumin-nanoemulsion and the bioaccessibility of curcumin during dynamic in vitro digesiton within complex dairy matrices