Phycocyanin-chitosan complex stabilized emulsion: Preparation, characteristics, digestibility, and stability

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Phycocyanin, a natural pigment, possesses beneficial antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Poor emulsibility of phycocyanin limits its application in the food industry.
• Developing effective emulsifiers is crucial for incorporating functional ingredients into food products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the emulsifying capacity of phycocyanin.
• To prepare and characterize a novel phycocyanin-chitosan complex.
• To investigate the characteristics, digestibility, and stability of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by this complex.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of a phycocyanin-chitosan complex.
• Characterization of the complex's properties, including interfacial tension and stability at pH 6.5.
• Evaluation of emulsion properties: physical stability, oil droplet aggregation, particle size, zeta potential, digestibility, and oxidation stability.

Main Results:

• The phycocyanin-chitosan complex exhibited enhanced stability and reduced interfacial tension compared to phycocyanin alone at pH 6.5.
• Emulsions stabilized by the complex showed significantly improved stability and inhibited oil droplet aggregation.
• The complex-stabilized emulsions demonstrated superior physical stability, digestibility, and oxidation resistance, with small particle sizes (0.1–2 μm) and high absolute zeta potential values.

Conclusions:

• The phycocyanin-chitosan complex effectively improves the emulsifying capacity of phycocyanin.
• This novel complex holds significant potential for enhancing the functionality and application of phycocyanin in the food industry.
• The improved emulsification properties contribute to better stability and digestibility of food emulsions.