{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T23:55:13Z","timestamp":1785196513619,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773446400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Guangdong Province\u2019s \u201cInnovation and Enhancement Initiative for Universities\u201d Project","award":["231104007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["231104007"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["32402027"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32402027"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Curcumin (Cur) has therapeutic potential for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but is limited by its poor bioavailability. Methods: This study demonstrated that Cur-loaded core\u2013shell structured microgel nanoparticles (LF\/CP-Cur MN), fabricated through electrostatic complexation between lactoferrin and citrus pectin, followed by Ca2+ consolidation, overcome this limitation. Results: These nanoparticles effectively reduced the bitterness and astringency of curcumin while prolonging its release time. In an IBD mouse model, LF\/CP-Cur MN treatment mitigated symptoms and inflammation of IBD, and restored intestinal barrier integrity. Crucially, compared with free Cur, the LF\/CP-Cur MN enhanced colon-targeted accumulation of Cur and favorably modulated the gut microbiota by increasing beneficial genera like Lactobacillus and Dubosiella, while suppressing harmful genera like Enterobacter, thereby promoting levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of the LF\/CP-Cur MN to improve Cur bioaccessibility and exert dual functional roles in modulating gut microbiota and alleviating inflammation, thus offering a promising dietary strategy for the management of IBD.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18060921","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T13:32:07Z","timestamp":1773667927000},"page":"921","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Curcumin-Loaded Lactoferrin\/Pectin Core\u2013Shell Structured Microgel Nanoparticles: Dual Regulatory Effects in Alleviating Inflammatory Bowel Disease"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Ming-Yu","family":"Jin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dongguan Key Laboratory of Typical Food Precision Design, China National Light Industry Key Laboratory of Healthy Food Development and Nutrition Regulation, School of Life and Health Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sai-Yin","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Er-Feng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dongguan Key Laboratory of Typical Food Precision Design, China National Light Industry Key Laboratory of Healthy Food Development and Nutrition Regulation, School of Life and Health Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201403, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jing-Yi","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dongguan Key Laboratory of Typical Food Precision Design, China National Light Industry Key Laboratory of Healthy Food Development and Nutrition Regulation, School of Life and Health Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chen","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Long-Qing","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dongguan Key Laboratory of Typical Food Precision Design, China National Light Industry Key Laboratory of Healthy Food Development and Nutrition Regulation, School of Life and Health Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9547-3772","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jing-Kun","family":"Yan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dongguan Key Laboratory of Typical Food Precision Design, China National Light Industry Key Laboratory of Healthy Food Development and Nutrition Regulation, School of Life and Health Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1825","DOI":"10.2147\/JIR.S353038","article-title":"Immunology of inflammatory bowel disease: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutics","volume":"15","author":"Lu","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. 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