Formation and Characterization of Casein Phosphopeptide/Chitosan Oligosaccharide NanoComplex

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to manufacture casein phosphopeptide (CPP)/chitosan oligosaccharide (CSO) nanocomplexes and to investigate the impacts of manufacturing variables, such as CPP concentration and pH, on their morphological and physicochemical characteristics. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and particle size analysis were used to assess the morphological and physicochemical properties of the CPP/CSO nanocomplexes, respectively. Based on the images obtained by TEM, the spherical shapes of the CPP/CSO nanocomplexes ranged from 50 to 150 nm. As the concentration of CPP was increased and the pH was decreased, the average particle size of the nanocomplexes significantly (p<0.05) increased. The CPP/CSO nanocomplexes had a highly uniform distribution with a polydispersity index value of less than 0.3. In addition, they had a negative surface charge with a zeta-potential value between —17 and —26 mV. The CPP/CSO nanocomplexes showed good stability during the freeze-drying process. In conclusion, CPP/CSO nanocomplexes were successfully manufactured, and the CPP concentration and pH were found to be key factors that affected their morphological and physicochemical properties.