Ultrasound-assisted assembly of β-lactoglobulin and chlorogenic acid for non covalent nanocomplex: fabrication, characterization and potential biological function

[Display omitted] •The interaction between LG and CA by ultrasound was studied.•Ultrasound can destroy the secondary structure of LG.•Ultrasound promotes the combination of LG and CA.•Combining with CA can significantly improve the physical and chemical properties of LG.•LG and LG-CA can be used as delivery carriers to further deliver Cur. It is essential to understand the ultrasound-induced changes in assembly of proteins and polyphenols into non covalent nanocomplex. β-Lactoglobulin (LG) and chlorogenic acid (CA) with various biological activities can be combined to form food-grade nanocomplexes. This study systematically explored the role of high-intensity ultrasound pretreatment on the binding mechanisms of LG and CA, and the potential biological function for embedding curcumin (Cur). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that ultrasound treatment could destroy the structure of LG, and the particle size of the protein was reduced to