• Oxidative stability of EGCG incorporated into ICs and CSNs were both investigated.
  • EGCG-ICs and related CSNs were physically unstable at higher pH and temperature.
  • Antioxidant activities of CSNs decreased more compared to EGCG-ICs and free EGCG.
  • Extreme entrapment of EGCG in aggregated CSNs inhibited the antioxidant activities.
  • Nanostructure of CSNs was lost but the activity of encapsulated EGCG may remain.

Abstract

The oxidative stability of (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) incorporated as inclusion complexes (ICs) in sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin sodium (SBE-β-CD) and then ionotropically crosslinked with chitosan hydrochloride (CSH) into nanoparticles were investigated. EGCG-loaded CSH-SBE-β-CD nanoparticles (CSNs) were physically unstable at higher pH and temperature. The particle size of CSNs was unchanged in the pH range of 3–5, but the microenvironment of EGCG-IC appeared to be intact until the pH increased to 6.5 by fluorescence spectroscopy. The physical structure of EGCG-ICs was also affected during storage in addition to CSNs, which was further affected as temperature increased from 25 to 55 °C. The decrease in antioxidant activities of EGCG-ICs and free EGCG with increasing pH, storage time and temperature were modest compared to the prominent decreases in antioxidant activities of EGCG-loaded CSNs. The extreme entrapment of EGCG-ICs and/or free EGCG in the aggregated CSNs restricted the release of EGCG, thus inhibiting the antioxidant activities.

Graphical abstract

Possible changes of EGCG-loaded CSNs and EGCG-ICs after altering the pH value or temperature of nanoparticle suspensions.