Gum Arabic-based Pickering emulsions: Design principles and emerging applications

Gum Arabic (GA), a naturally occurring anionic polysaccharide-protein complex, has evolved beyond its traditional role as a molecular emulsifier to emerge as a promising biopolymeric building block for the development of Pickering emulsions. Owing to its unique amphiphilic architecture, biodegradability, and regulatory acceptance, GA provides a sustainable platform for engineering particle-stabilized, surfactant-free emulsion systems. This review critically synthesizes recent advances in the fabrication, characterization, and application of GA-based colloidal particles as Pickering stabilizers. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies for tailoring particle properties to enable precise modulation of wettability, surface charge, particle size, and interfacial activity. The fundamental factors governing emulsion formation and stability-including particle characteristics, formulation parameters, and environmental conditions-are systematically examined in relation to droplet size distribution, interfacial structure, rheological behavior, and long-term stability. Furthermore, the expanding application landscape of GA-based Pickering emulsions is discussed, highlighting their potential in food systems for bioactive encapsulation and fat structuring, in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical delivery systems for enhanced solubility and controlled release, and in emerging areas such as cosmetics and functional materials. Finally, this review outlines current challenges and identifies future research directions for GA-based Pickering emulsions.