Fiber complex-stabilized high-internal-phase emulsion for allicin encapsulation: microstructure, stability, and...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Stimuli-responsive emulsions offer enhanced sensory qualities and controlled nutrient release in food products.
• Synthetic materials for stimuli-responsive emulsions present limitations in the food industry.
• Regulating interfacial molecular behavior is key to achieving desired stimuli-responsive properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate stimuli-responsive high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) for allicin encapsulation.
• To investigate the stabilization mechanism of HIPEs using whey protein amyloid fibrils (WPF) and glycyrrhizin fibers (GA).
• To evaluate the thermal-responsive release of allicin from the fabricated HIPEs.

Main Methods:

• HIPEs were stabilized by a complex of WPF and GA.
• Intermolecular forces (hydrophobic and electrostatic) between WPF and GA were analyzed.
• Encapsulation efficiency and allicin release profiles under different temperature conditions were measured.

Main Results:

• WPF-GA complexes formed a stable interfacial film around oil droplets, enhancing HIPE stability.
• Increased WPF proportion improved storage stability, with instability indexes near 0.2.
• Allicin encapsulation efficiency ranged from 88.7% to 101% at 25°C and 31.9% to 78.7% at 85°C.
• HIPEs showed temperature-dependent modulus and thermal-responsive allicin release.

Conclusions:

• Thermal-responsive properties of HIPEs can be engineered by manipulating interfacial characteristics.
• The study demonstrates a novel approach for creating functional food ingredients with controlled release properties.