Insights into the physicochemical stability of ammonium glycyrrhizate and curcumin nanocomplexes

In this study, ammonium glycyrrhizate (AG) based curcumin (Cur) nanocomplexes (AG/Cur NCs) were prepared. Water solubility of Cur and the physical stability of AG/Cur NCs under varying conditions were investigated, and the stability and bioaccessibility of Cur during in vitro digestion were also studied. The results showed that Cur solubility and physical stability of the NCs increased significantly ( p  < 0.05) with the increase of AG concentration. The solubility of encapsulated Cur and the physical stability of AG/Cur NCs were affected by the changes in pH, salt concentration, and temperature, but the NCs showed good stability against various environmental conditions. After in vitro simulated digestion, the stability and bioaccessibility of the embedded Cur in the NCs were 6.54 % and 21.70 % respectively, higher than that of free Cur. The formulation of AG/Cur NCs significantly enhanced the solubility and stability of Cur, indicating substantial promising for Cur-based functional foods.