Encapsulation and\nSustained Release of Quercetin-Loaded\npH-Responsive Intelligent Nanovehicles Based on the Coassembly of\nPea Protein Isolate and Hyaluronic Acid

A pea protein isolate (PPI)-hyaluronic acid (HA) nanocarrier\ndelivery\nsystem was created for quercetin (Que) encapsulation using the pH\nconversion strategy. The self-assembly of the PPI-HA binary nanocomplex\n(HPP) were mainly driven by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions.\nQue was successfully encapsulated in HPP nanocomposites (Que@HPP),\nwhich exhibited preferable redispersibility, and encapsulation efficiency\n(87.51%), loading capacity (14.50%). Que@HPP provided superior resistance\nto external environmental stresses (pH, ionic strength, high temperature,\nlight exposure, and long-term storage), while maintaining its primary\nantioxidant activity after 15 days. Compared to free Que, the encapsulated\nQue shifted from a crystalline to an amorphous form, diffusing more\neasily through nanoparticle pores. Moreover, the encapsulated Que\n(Que@HPP) were stable in simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH = 1.2) and\nreleased slowly in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH = 6.8) compared\nto naked Que, demonstrating its potential to respond to specific external\npH environments. Thus, the fabrication of HPP nanovehicles for Que\nencapsulation is a viable solution to improve its stability and release\nbehaviors.