Construction and multifunctionalization of chitosan-based three-phase nano-delivery system

Functional food components have attracted extensive attention for their nutritional and physiological properties. However, the instability and low bioavailability seriously limited their applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Herein, we successfully constructed a multifunctional three-phase nano-delivery system of polysaccharide-polyphenol-protein, namely chitosan-tannin-lysozyme nanoparticles (CS-TA-L NPs). Employing chitosan as the wall material, tannin and lysozyme were incorporated into the chitosan matrix by ion crosslinking and ultrasonic assisted methods, forming the nanoparticles with core-shell structures. Consequently, this simple, feasible and green nano-delivery system protected the biological activities of tannin and lysozyme, improved the stability of CS-TA-L NPs, and endowed chitosan nanoparticles with antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which provided a theoretical basis for constructing the multifunctional nano-delivery systems.