Self-assembly of Zein-based nanoparticles for oral isoliquiritigenin delivery against Salmonella infections

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) exhibits anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, but its application is limited by poor solubility and low bioavailability. To address this limitation, we developed ISL-encapsulated nanoparticles (ISL@NPs) using self-assembling Zein protein and hydrophilic Gum Arabic to load ISL. Under optimized conditions (Zein/GA ratio of 1:1, Zein content of 200 mg, pH 4), the fabricated ISL@NPs exhibited smaller particle size and robust stability. The aqueous solubility of ISL was significantly enhanced from 5.11 μg/mL to over 400 μg/mL upon encapsulation into ISL@NPs. Additionally, ISL@NPs alleviated the thermal degradation of ISL under high-temperature conditions and demonstrated rapid drug release in simulated inflammatory environments. Animal experiment results showed that ISL@NPs significantly enhanced the bioavailability of ISL and provided exceptional therapeutic efficacy against Salmonella infection. In summary, this study developed stable and effective ISL@NPs using food-derived materials, offering a novel antibiotic alternative for Salmonella control.