Effect of Gelatin/Xanthan Gum Ratios on Jackfruit Leaf Extract Nanoemulsion Gel Stability and Properties

Abstract

Nanoemulsions were formulated as hydrogels, incorporating extract from jackfruit leaf (JLE) and consisting of a blend of xanthan gum and fish gelatin (XAN-GEL). Utilizing the spontaneous emulsification technique, single xanthan gum (XAN), single fish gelatin (GEL), and XAN-GEL blends  were hydrated at a mass ratio (0.5 to 2.5% w/v) and were prepared and subsequently assessed for various parameters such as droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, colloidal stability, and viscosity. Additionally, plain nanoemulsion (NE) and carbomer were synthesized as control samples for comparative analysis. The droplet size, PDI, and zeta potential values of the developed nanoemulsion and gelled nanoemulsion fell within the ranges of 131 to 223 nm, 0.23 to 0.33, and -27.3 to -47.3 mV, respectively. Notably, all formulations exhibited stability except for the lower amount of XAN ratio blends at 1.0% (MD) and 0.5% (ME). Furthermore, all stable nanoemulsion gels demonstrated shear thinning behavior, and the highest amount of XAN ratio blends at 2.0% (MA) enhanced the viscosity of the nanoemulsion by fine tuning the rheological characteristics of the targeted gelled nanoemulsion suitable for future topical drug delivery application.