Curcumin–β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex: Stability, solubility, characterisation by FT-IR, FT-Raman, X-ray diffraction and photoacoustic spectroscopy, and food application

•Curcumin–β-CD complex using co-precipitation enhanced its solubility 31-fold.•Curcumin–β-CD complex exhibited higher sunlight, pH, storage and heating stability.•XRD and the spectroscopic techniques produced important evidences of complexation.•The use of the complex in vanilla ice creams resulted in potential savings. Curcumin was complexed with β-CD using co-precipitation, freeze-drying and solvent evaporation methods. Co-precipitation enabled complex formation, as indicated by the FT-IR and FT-Raman techniques via the shifts in the peaks that were assigned to the aromatic rings of curcumin. In addition, photoacoustic spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, with the disappearance of the band related to aromatic rings, by Gaussian fitting, and modifications in the spectral lines, respectively, also suggested complex formation. The possible complexation had an efficiency of 74% and increased the solubility of the pure colourant 31-fold. Curcumin–β-CD complex exhibited a sunlight stability 18% higher than the pure colourant. This material was stable to pH variations and storage at −15 and 4°C. With an isothermal heating at 100 and 150°C for 2h, the material exhibited a colour retention of approximately 99%. The application of curcumin–β-CD complex in vanilla ice creams intensified the colour of the products and produced a great sensorial acceptance.