Abstract

Brown algal polyphenols (BAP) possess various biological activities, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, their inherent instability severely limits the efficient utilization of BAP. This study prepared a biodegradable porous corn starch (PS) delivery system via dual-enzyme hydrolysis technology, aiming to achieve stable gastrointestinal transport of BAP. Compared with corn starch, PS2 (corn starch enzymatically hydrolyzed for 2 h) exhibited a 55.41% increase in water absorption efficiency and significantly enhanced hydroxyl group exposure, providing abundant binding sites for BAP. Meanwhile, PS2 maintained the relative DPPH radical scavenging activity of BAP, with only a 16.78% decrease during gastrointestinal digestion (BAP decreased by 59.25%), controlling the protonation effect of BAP during digestion. Furthermore, PS2–BAP effectively downregulated the expression of inflammatory factors in colitis mice, inhibited the production of oxidative products, and maintained the integrity of the colonic structure. PS provides a new strategy for developing more stable and effective BAP products.