Urea-Reassembled Soy Lipophilic Protein Nanoparticles for Resveratrol Delivery: Structure, Interfaces, and Digestion

This study investigated the structure, interfacial properties, and digestibility of resveratrol (Res)-loaded soybean lipophilic protein (LP) nanoparticles using a urea-induced disassembly-reassembly approach. Structural analysis confirmed that LP partially restored its secondary to quaternary structures during dialysis, verifying the reversibility of structural reassembly. Analysis of LP-Res nanoparticles showed that increasing urea concentration ([U]) led to the highest encapsulation efficiency (88.32%) and loading capacity (15.91 μg/mg) at 8 M urea. Meanwhile, characterization of interfacial properties indicated that Res-loaded LP-Res nanoparticles improved interfacial features and foam stability, especially under 8U-Res conditions. Furthermore, dynamic in vitro digestion results demonstrated that 8U-Res nanoparticles exhibited sustained release and the highest digestibility (77.8%). These findings reveal the close relationship between LP structural recovery and interfacial functionality, supporting its application as a nanocarrier in nutritional delivery systems.