Glycosylated Beta-Lactoglobulin emulsions stabilize curcumin and suppress fruit spoilage

To overcome the poor stability, low water solubility, and insufficient bioavailability of curcumin, this study utilized bioactive beta-glucan (β-glucan) and nutrient-rich beta-lactoglobulin (β-lactoglobulin, BLG) as raw materials through glycosylation to regulate the structure and functional properties of proteins, and by using their distinct interactions, emulsions with different interfacial structures were constructed for curcumin encapsulation. The physicochemical properties, stability, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and fruit preservation performance of different emulsions were systematically compared to identify the optimal curcumin delivery emulsion system. The results indicate that the solubility of the glycosylated protein was significantly enhanced to 91.76% and that the emulsifying capacity was superior. The emulsion based on the conjugate outperformed those prepared with β-lactoglobulin alone or physical mixtures in terms of both the interfacial protein adsorption rate (68.80%) and the curcumin encapsulation efficiency (91.57%). It also demonstrated superior physical stability under various environmental stresses, stronger antioxidant activity, and enhanced antibacterial capacity. Fruit preservation experiments further confirmed that this composite emulsion effectively delayed spoilage and mold growth, extending the shelf life. This study not only expands the application of BLG and β-glucan in delivery systems but also provides new insights for the efficient encapsulation and utilization of hydrophobic active ingredients.