Abstract: In this study, a ternary complex of zein with lecithin and propylene glycol alginate (PGA) was prepared by an anti-solvent method and applied to encapsulate β-carotene. The structural properties of β-carotene nanoparticles were studied. Moreover, the influences of environmental conditions such as temperature, pH and light on the stability of β-carotene nanoparticles were investigated. The results showed that compared with zein nanoparticles and zein-lecithin complexes, the ternary complex nanoparticles had a higher encapsulation efficiency for β-carotene (93.63%) and showed good stability against temperature and pH. In addition, the ternary complex was extremely effective in inhibiting β-carotene color degradation caused by exposure to ultraviolet light, keeping the average particle size below 250 nm. Therefore, zein-lecithin-propylene glycol alginate nanoparticles are expected to become an effective carrier for hydrophobic compounds.

Key words: β-carotene; ternary composite nanoparticles; environmental conditions; stability