Comparison of ultrasound and high-pressure homogenization emulsification: A promising fabrication strategy for total nutritional double emulsion-based product enriched with low-molecular-weight oyster peptides

Abstract

Double emulsions encapsulating low-molecular-weight oyster peptides (LOPs) hold considerable promise for use in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries. However, their application in enteral nutrition products is limited by significant stability challenges. In this study, a two-step emulsification process combined with either ultrasound (US) or high-pressure homogenization (HPH) was employed to formulate a total nutritional double emulsion (TNDE). The results demonstrated that TNDE processed with US exhibited the smallest particle size (2.69 ± 0.36 μm), more uniform dispersion (0.32 ± 0.03), and superior wettability (37.08 ± 2.80°) compared to HPH treatment. Additionally, the US-treated TNDE showed excellent freeze-thaw stability and effectively masked undesirable flavors. Pasteurization did not significantly alter the properties of TNDE. In contrast, sterilized emulsions displayed improved storage and oxidative stability while retaining over 90% of fat-soluble nutrients. These findings suggest that sterilization is a viable and gentle method for processing enteral nutrition products. This study presents a comprehensive nutritional double emulsion suitable for practical applications in enteral nutritional interventions.