Fabrication and Stabilization of Hyperoside-Soybean Hydrophobic Peptide Nanocomplex

Hyperoside (HYP), a flavonoid with potent antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities, has limited applications in pharmaceutical development and functional foods because of its poor water solubility and low bioavailability. In this study, hyperoside-loaded soybean hydrophobic peptide-based nanocomplexes (SPN-HYP) were prepared using a pH-driven method. The optimal HYP loading concentration was determined, and the physicochemical properties and bioaccessibility of the resulting nanocomplexes were systematically characterized. The results showed that soybean peptide hydrophobic aggregates could be used to construct HYP-loaded nanocomplexes, thereby improving the water solubility and stability of HYP. The nanoparticle dispersion was yellow in appearance, with an encapsulation efficiency above 90%, a loading capacity of 18.88%±0.033%, and a particle size ranging from 160 to 180 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Zeta potential analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of HYP into SPN. After storage at 4 ℃ for 15 days, the particle size variation remained below 10%. In vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion showed that the bioaccessibility of HYP in the SPN-HYP system was significantly higher than that of free HYP (P<0.05). In addition, the SPN-HYP system effectively preserved the antioxidant activity of HYP and improved its stability and bioaccessibility during gastrointestinal digestion. Therefore, the soybean hydrophobic peptide-based nano-delivery system shows promising potential for enhancing the application of hyperoside in functional foods and pharmaceutical development.