Heat-induced self-assembly of zein nanoparticles: Fabrication, stabilization and potential application as oral drug delivery

In this study, zein colloidal particles were self-assembled in aqueous ethanol through thermal treatment at 70 °C. The effect of heating, ethanol ratio and initial protein content on the physiochemical characteristics of zein nanoparticles were investigated. Thermal treatment was a necessary step to prepare nanoparticles with finer size and more homogenous distribution. The particle size decreased from 443.3 to 185.5 nm with initially ethanol...