Characterization of emulsion co-encapsulated with probiotics and quercetin and its effect on the storage quality of Harbin red sausage

In this study, emulsions co-encapsulated with Bifidobacterium bifidum (B. bifidum) and quercetin (BQE) were prepared, and the encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant properties, storage stability, and digestive stability of emulsions containing different concentrations of quercetin were investigated. The results indicate that the prepared emulsion possesses excellent encapsulation efficiency and stability at quercetin concentration of 500 μg/mL. After in vitro digestion, the survival of B. bifidum improved, and the bioaccessibility of quercetin increased to 40.76 ± 1.10 % compared with that of free quercetin (25.16 ± 1.79 %). In addition, the emulsions were also combined with sodium alginate (SA) coating and applied to Harbin red sausage for storage. The results demonstrate that the coating exhibits certain antioxidant and aerobic bacterium-inhibiting effects. The moisture content of 1.5 %-BQE–SA coating was 42.48 % at 12 d, which was 4.14 % more than that of the control. The pH, color, and texture of Harbin red sausage were effectively preserved, successfully extending its shelf life by at least 3 days. Therefore, this study offers new insights into improving the stability of B. bifidum and quercetin, which can be employed to improve the quality of Harbin red sausage during storage.