Investigation on the interfacial and emulsion stabilized behavior of dextran/ferritin/resveratrol composite...

Glycation of ferritin provides a viable approach to enhance its physicochemical and functional properties. However, there is limited research on the interfacial adsorption properties of glycated ferritin-based colloidal particles. Therefore, this study selected recombinant human H-chain ferritin (rHuHF), rHuHF encapsulated with resveratrol (rHuHF-Res), and rHuHF-dextran glycoconjugates loaded with resveratrol (Dex-rHuHF-Res) as emulsifiers to investigate their interfacial adsorption properties. The results revealed that Dex-rHuHF-Res exhibited superior emulsifying properties and rheological behavior. It also increased the hydrophobicity of the microenvironment around Tyr and Trp residues, while hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic force, and salt bridge were identified as the most important intermolecular interactions. Dex-rHuHF-Res exhibited the biggest contact angle and lowest interface tension, which further reduced the diffusion (K_diff) from the aqueous phase to the interface but promoted the penetration (K_p) and rearrangement (K_r) rates at the interface. Meanwhile, the emulsion stabilized by Dex-rHuHF-Res displayed excellent freeze-thaw stability, and Dex-rHuHF-Res can be more densely accumulated at the O/W interface to form an interface layer. These findings highlight the promising application of glycated ferritin in stabilizing Pickering emulsions, and deepen our understanding of the interplay among particle interaction, interface adsorption properties, and emulsion stability.