Fabrication and digestive characteristics of high internal phase Pickering emulsions stabilized by ovalbumin-pectin complexes for improving the stability and bioaccessibility of curcumin

In this study, ovalbumin (OVA) interacted with pectin (PE) to form soluble electrostatic complexes to improve the functional properties of high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPEs) under extreme conditions. The results showed that the stability of the OVA-PE soluble complexes-stabilized HIPEs was significantly better than that of the free OVA-stabilized HIPEs and was modulated by the biopolymer ratio. In particular, the complexes at an OVA:PE ratio of 1:1 (C-1:1) may form particulates with a core-shell structure by a flocculation mechanism. The C-1:1-stabilized HIPEs had the smallest oil droplet size (11.34 +/- 1.14 mu m) and the best resistance to extreme environmental stresses due to their strong, rigid structure and dense interfacial architecture. The in vitro digestion results showed that the bioaccessibility (from 18.3%+/- 0.5% to 38.8% +/- 4.8%) of curcumin improved with increasing PE content. Our work is helpful in understanding OVA-PE complexes as stabilizers for HIPEs and their potential applications in food delivery systems.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the formation of soluble electrostatic complexes between ovalbumin (OVA) and pectin (PE) to improve the functional properties of high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPEs). The stability of the OVA-PE complexes-stabilized HIPEs was found to be significantly better than that of free OVA-stabilized HIPEs, with the best performance observed at a OVA:PE ratio of 1:1. These complex-stabilized HIPEs exhibited small oil droplet size and superior resistance to extreme environmental stresses. Furthermore, the addition of PE in the complexes resulted in improved bioaccessibility of curcumin.