Ultrasonic-antisolvent two-step assembly of carboxymethylated corn fiber gum-coated zein particles for enhanced curcumin delivery

•CMCFG with different DS below 20 mg/mL did not affect the activity of Caco-2 cells.•The study introduced an ultrasound/anti-solvent two-step assembly method to develop CMCFG coated ZPs.•The double capture method of curcumin in Cur-CMZPs improved encapsulation efficiency up to 91.19%.•The bioaccessibility and stability of encapsulated curcumin were notably enhanced. Zein particles (ZPs) have garnered considerable interest in delivery system construction for its capacity to encapsulate hydrophobic substances. Nonetheless, the instability of ZPs is an obstacle to application. Coating carboxymethylated corn fiber gum (CMCFG) which is a modified polysaccharide molecule enriched with anionic groups on the surface of ZPs is expected to overcome this limitation. Here, we evaluated the cell viability of CMCFG to Caco-2, proving the safety of CMCFG with different substitution degree (0.42, 0.52 and 0.70) below 20 mg/mL. Furthermore, curcumin, a hydrophobic model compound, was loaded onto ZPs coated with CMCFG using ultrasonic-antisolvent method, achieving a remarkable encapsulation efficiency (91.19%) and enhanced stability and bioaccessibility. Multiple characteristic approaches, such as zeta potential, FTIR, XRD, ultraviolet absorption spectra revealed that the assembly process mainly relied on hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic interactions. This study provides novel insights into encapsulation methods for hydrophobic nutrients.