Biocompatible green tea extract‐stabilised zinc nanoparticles encapsulated by poly(butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate) with control release profile and antioxidative capacity

Abstract

SummaryGreen tea extract‐stabilised Zn nanoparticles (GT‐Zn NPs) encapsulated by poly(butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate) (PBCA@GT‐Zn NPs) were developed for control release of Zn. The crucial parameters, concentrations of GT‐Zn NPs and the monomer n‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate (BCA), which affected the size, polydispersity indexes (PDI) and encapsulation efficiency (EE %), were evaluated to achieve the smaller size, higher EE (%) and stably and uniformly dispersed NPs. The optimised PBCA@GT‐Zn NPs with <100 nm diameter (46.38 ± 3.46 by SEM, 86.91 ± 3.66 by DLS), PDI (0.159 ± 0.042), zeta potential (−20.56 ± 2.53 mV) and EE (89.31 ± 1.09 %) were obtained. In vitro release of Zn ions was conducted at pH 7.4, showing that Zn from the self‐made tablets and lyophilised PBCA@GT‐Zn NPs is released significantly slower than that of GT‐Zn NPs. Additionally, the PBCA@GT‐Zn NP tablets are pH‐responsive, non‐toxic and antioxidative, suggesting that they could be used as safe food material or drug carriers, contributing to relieve Zn deficiency.