Encapsulation of Anthocyanin From Black Carrot (Daucus carota var atrorubens) in Protein Complexes From Plant,...

Anthocyanins (ACNs) are natural bioactive pigments with antioxidant properties, but their application in food systems is limited by poor physicochemical stability. This study evaluated black carrot ACNs (BC-ACN; 5-25 mg/L, expressed as cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents) encapsulated in plant (soy protein isolate, SPI), animal (whey protein isolate, WPI; α-lactalbumin, α-L), and insect (cricket protein, CP) protein matrices. Complexes were prepared by electrostatic precipitation and characterized using encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, rheology, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and zeta potential analyses. WPI exhibited the highest encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity, indicating superior ACN incorporation. SPI formed the most elastic and deformation-resistant networks and exhibited the highest electrostatic stability. α-L showed weaker, predominantly viscous behavior, whereas CP displayed intermediate encapsulation performance and heterogeneous microstructures. These findings demonstrate that protein molecular architecture governs ACN interactions, network formation, and stability, providing guidance for selecting protein carriers for food and nutraceutical applications.