Assembly mechanism of glycosylated soybean protein isolate-chitosan nanocomposite particles and its Pickering emulsion construction for stabilization of Alpinia galanga essential oil: A mechanistic investigation

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of stabilization of Pickering emulsion with glycosylated soybean protein isolate-chitosan (SPI-Dex: CS) nanocomposite particles. The results indicated that the glycosylated modifications induced changes in the micromorphology and molecular structure of SPI, which resulted in a decrease in particle size and hydrophobicity and an increase in zeta potential. The complexation of CS-induced changes in the micromorphology and molecular arrangement of the composite nanoparticles, as well as the binding sites and modification effect, decreased with increased CS ratio. SPI-Dex-CS composite nanoparticles successfully stabilize Pickering emulsions loaded with Alpinia galanga essential oil, in which glycosylation and CS complexation jointly improved the encapsulation efficiency, centrifugal/storage stability, and rheological behavior of emulsions for essential oils. Nanocomposite particle assembly was subjected to electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic forces, with the optimal performance of emulsions in the SPI-Dex₇₅: CS₂₅ ratio. The study is rewarding for applying polysaccharide-protein-based encapsulation systems in food and packaging applications.