Abstract:Poor water solubility and chemical instability limit the application of curcumin in food and pharmaceutical systems. A self-assembling, pH-responsive curcumin nanodelivery system was constructed by utilizing the synergistic effect of soybean peptide aggregates (SPAs) and pectin. Optimal curcumin loading concentration was determined using single-factor experiments; physicochemical properties and environmental tolerance of the resulting nanocomposites were systematically characterized. At a curcumin concentration of 1.5 mg•mL-1 in a system containing SPAs (10 mg•mL-1, 10 mL) and pectin (5 mg•mL-1, 6 mL), the nanocomposites achieved an encapsulation efficiency of 91.11% and a loading capacity of 17.52%. The average particle size was 108.9 nm; zeta potential was -29.8 mV. Stability assessments revealed excellent stability of the delivery system under near-neutral pH conditions (6.0~7.0) and low ionic strength (1%~3% NaCl), with high-temperature tolerance (70 ℃ for 60 min) and long-term storage stability (4 ℃ for 28 d). In conclusion, this nanodelivery system effectively improved curcumin water solubility and stability, providing new possibilities for its application in functional foods and pharmaceuticals.