This study investigated the effects of sodium stearoyl lactylate on the structure and gel properties of starch-guar gum-corn oil emulsion gels, as well as the sensory characteristics of Daifuku skin prepared from these gels. The results indicated that sodium stearoyl lactylate inhibited hydrogen bond formation, formed V-type complexes with amylose, disrupted ordered structures, and suppressed starch recrystallization at low concentrations (≤0.15%). Additionally, it reduced the size of corn oil droplets, with sodium stearoyl lactylate-starch complexes accumulating at the oil droplet interface. The addition of sodium stearoyl lactylate boosted water retention in the emulsion gel while reducing its mechanical strength. At higher concentrations (>0.15%), the system generated abundant V-type crystals, while excess sodium stearoyl lactylate formed unstable multilayer emulsifying films around the oil droplets. This led to droplet aggregation and the decline in water-holding capacity. Oral tribology and sensory evaluation revealed that Daifuku skin formulated with 0.15% sodium stearoyl lactylate exhibited the lowest friction coefficient and provided the best lubrication during swallowing. It also received the highest scores for appearance, softness, elasticity, flavor, and overall acceptability. This study confirmed that the impact of sodium stearoyl lactylate was governed by a concentration-dependent dual mechanism, with the optimal concentration of 0.15% achieving an ideal balance between emulsification efficiency and complex formation. This work provides a systematic theoretical foundation for precise texture design in starch-based emulsion gel systems.

This study investigated the effects of mung bean hull (MBH) and its soluble (SDF) and insoluble dietary fibers (IDF) on the quality and digestion of pressed mung bean cake. MBH increased surface roughness (Sa) from 26.858 μm to 30.340 μm mainly because IDF granules were larger and more irregular than mung bean flour, whereas dissolved SDF reduced Sa to 24.497 μm. The higher density of IDF (1.5629 g/cm3), compared to the control (1.4940 g/cm3), the self-assembly of SDF that filled voids between flour granules, and their inhibition of starch gelatinization together increased hardness and chewiness. The highly porous MBH structure-especially the SDF fraction with 48-fold greater pore volume than IDF-enhanced water competition, limiting starch swelling and lowering chewing viscosity. IDF inhibited starch retrogradation more effectively through physical barrier effects, while SDF outperformed IDF in promoting ordered starch structures during oral-gastric-intestinal digestion. SDF further delayed intestinal-phase crystallinity development by encapsulating starch granules and reducing the hydrolysis of amorphous regions by limiting amylase access, thereby more effectively slowing starch digestion. Overall, MBH increased roughness and hardness, but significantly inhibited starch retrogradation (hardness increase reduced from 4385 g to 2839 g) and digestion (estimated glycemic index from 53.87 to 37.62) through the combined effects of IDF and SDF.

Non-enzymatic browning during storage devalues pickled vegetables, yet roles of the Maillard reaction (MR), ascorbic acid (AA) degradation, sugar degradation and phenolic oxidation are unclear. Fourteen defined model systems (M1-M14) mimicking cowpea pickles composition were incubated at 45 °C for 40 d. Browning index and reactants, intermediates, and products were tracked. Pronounced visible browning and BI increases were mainly observed when amino acids and sugars coexisted (M3-M14), whereas amino acids (M1) or sugars (M2) alone showed limited discoloration. AA was nearly depleted by day 20 and 3-hydroxy-2-pyranone peaked at day 10 then vanished, indicating an early AA driven phase. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural accumulated in all sugar-containing systems (16.16-98.73 μg/g at day 40) and increased continuously, marking late-stage browning. Redundancy analysis (96.75% variance) and structural equation modeling identified AA degradation (0.72) and MR (0.89) as dominant direct drivers. These results provide time-resolved compositional targets to mitigate discoloration in fermented vegetables for better quality preservation.

A highly branched rhamnogalacturonan-I pectin, LBP-P4, isolated from Lycium barbarum, was evaluated for its protective effects in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice. Oral administration of LBP-P4 mitigated body weight loss, improved thymus and spleen atrophy, preserved intestinal villus morphology, and alleviated goblet cell depletion. In the small intestine, LBP-P4 attenuated Cy-induced aberrant activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway and restored cytokine homeostasis. It also restored Cy-impaired CD4+ T-cell immunity by recovering markers associated with Th1, Th17, and Treg responses, suggesting coordinated regulation of effector immunity and immune tolerance. In the colon, LBP-P4 increased IgG, IgM, and IL-2 levels and strengthened epithelial barrier integrity by upregulating ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1. It also reshaped the gut microbiota, with enrichment of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacteroides, accompanied by recovery of short-chain fatty acids, particularly acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Compared with inulin, LBP-P4 showed broader immunoregulatory activity, especially on small-intestinal mucosal immunity modulation, and Bifidobacterium enrichment. These effects are likely related to its highly branched RG-I architecture. Overall, LBP-P4 protects against Cy-induced immunosuppression through coordinated regulation of intestinal immune function, epithelial barrier integrity, and microbiota-derived metabolism.

Hydrophilic sucrose esters are widely used in whipped cream, but the relationship between their molecular structure, interfacial behavior, and whipping performance remains unclear. This study investigated three hydrophilic sucrose esters, S1170, S1570, and P1570, in sodium caseinate-stabilized cream systems. Interfacial measurements showed that sucrose ester concentration strongly affected the adsorption behavior and viscoelasticity of the oil/water interface. Low concentrations produced rheological responses consistent with the formation of a more elastic mixed interface, whereas excessive addition was associated with competitive adsorption, reduced interfacial protein coverage, and weakened interfacial viscoelasticity. The molecular structure of sucrose esters further influenced this process: S1170, with a higher polyester content, showed behavior consistent with stronger interfacial interactions, while P1570 showed a greater decrease in interfacial modulus. These interfacial differences were associated with changes in whipping behavior. At 0.10 wt%, sucrose esters slowed fat partial coalescence, prolonged the optimal whipping time, and increased overrun. At 0.50 wt%, they accelerated early-stage coalescence and increased serum loss, especially for P1570. These findings suggest that selecting appropriate sucrose ester type and dosage is essential for balancing interfacial stability, fat partial coalescence, and whipped cream quality.

Marine protein hydrolysates hold great promise for functional foods, but undesirable flavors often limit their application. This study aimed to enhance both the sensory and functional properties of tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) hydrolysates by introducing galangal (Alpinia officinarum) active ingredients. Eight preparation routes were designed to generate galangal-flavored peptide-rich bases (GPBs) with different addition strategies. GPBs contained flavonoids and polysaccharides derived from galangal, and exhibited stronger xanthine oxidase inhibitory (XOI) activity compared with tuna hydrolysates, while preserving tuna-derived peptide sequences associated with antihypertensive and other bioactivities. Volatile profiling and sensory evaluation confirmed a reduction in fishy off-odor and bitterness, accompanied by characteristic gingery and caramel-like notes. Route S2, in which tuna and galangal were hydrolyzed separately before alkaline extraction of the mixture, was identified as the optimal preparation strategy, achieving a favorable combination of flavor improvement, retention of peptides associated with potential bioactivities, relatively higher polysaccharide and flavonoid contents, and enhanced XOI activity. Simulated digestion and colonic fermentation demonstrated that GPB prepared by route S2 modulated gut metabolites differently from tuna hydrolysates, suggesting altered gut metabolic profiles compared with tuna hydrolysates. These results reveal that galangal active ingredients effectively enhance both flavor and functional potential of tuna hydrolysates, providing a practical approach for developing peptide-based functional foods with improved sensory attributes.

Evaporation is a critical yet mechanistically unclear step in yeast extract (YE) production that profoundly shapes flavor quality. In this study, sensory evaluation, physicochemical analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were employed, alongside profiling of taste-active compounds. The FTIR and DSC results revealed that concentration above 50% induced a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES)-like system, driven by the enhancement of hydrogen bonding and Maillard reactions. Amino acid profiling showed that umami and sweet amino acids peaked at 60% concentration (accounting for 24.28% and 22.00%, respectively), and this peak correlated with a higher umami taste active value (TAV). Peptide analysis indicated that the cleavage of bitter peptides and the simultaneous enrichment of umami (e.g., Val-Leu/Ile, Arg-Leu/Ile, Leu/Ile-Gln) and kokumi (e.g., Leu/Ile-Met, Leu/Ile-Tyr) dipeptides optimized the flavor profile at 60% concentration. Partial Least Squares Regression robustly correlated umami intensity with Glu, Ala, and umami-enhancing dipeptides such as Arg-Leu/Ile and Glu-Ala-Leu/Ile. These findings elucidate a novel mechanism by which the evaporative process induces the formation of a NADES-like system composed predominantly of Maillard reaction components. This system, in turn, modulates subsequent Maillard reaction pathways and stabilizes flavor compounds, synergistically optimizing the overall flavor quality in industrial YE production and enabling targeted process modulation.

Iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) offer a sustainable strategy to control iron deficiency anemia (IDA), while their tendency for oxidation severely limits their application. In this study, soy protein nanofibrils (FibSPHFla) fabricated via enzymatic hydrolysis could act as colloidal stabilizers for Fe NPs. Notably, enzymatic hydrolysis could remarkably reduce the fibrillization time from 24 h to 5 h where mature and curled nanofibrils were obtained without prolonged acid-heating. Accordingly, Fe NPs could uniformly decorate the surface of the fibrils by binding to the amide and carbonyl sites of the protein and maintained in Fe (II) state. The formed iron-protein nanofibrils (Fe FibSPHFla) exhibited enhanced stability against storage and gastrointestinal digestion. Compared to traditional iron fortifiers, Fe FibSPHFla showed reduced cytotoxicity with minimal organoleptic changes. Additionally, Fe FibSPHFla could effectively retard lipid oxidation of emulsions. These findings served soy protein nanofibrils as a promising delivery vehicle for iron fortification.

Controlled enzymatic hydrolysis shows great potential in inducing protein assembly to construct ordered nano/ microstructures. However, the inherent system complexity during enzymatic hydrolysis, coupled with aggregation tendencies of exposed hydrophobic groups, complicates the study and the regulation of protein assembly behavior. In the present study, soy protein isolate (SPI) was designed to degrade in three different patterns using Pancreatin, Neutrase, and Protamex (R), respectively, aiming to elucidate the assembly behavior of SPI from subunit perspectives. Influences of heat treatment (conventional way to inactivate enzyme) were also assessed. Herein, Pancreatin and Neutrase preferentially degraded the hydrophobic (beta and basic subunits) and the hydrophilic (acidic subunits) fractions, respectively, whereas Protamex (R) mediated synchronized degradation across all subunit types. Results showed that prior degradation of hydrophobic subunits reduced beta-sheet conformation and enhanced surface hydrophobicity, structurally enabling formation of uniformly distributed nanoparticles (around 100 nm) with internal cavities, which less influenced by heat. While further hydrolysis on hydrophilic subunits (alpha ', alpha, or acidic) induced hydrophobic coalescence through cavity shrinkage and compromised nano-structural integrity, which would be exacerbated upon heating. In contrast, preferential cleavage of acidic subunits in general maintained the original aggregated states, and the partially exposed hydrophobic subunits promoted the reassembly during heating, forming typical nanoparticles.

This study developed an efficient strategy for identifying umami and umami-enhancing peptides from fermented soybean meal hydrolysates (FSMH) to support the high-value utilization of soybean byproducts. An integrated approach combining virtual screening, molecular docking, sensory validation, intracellular calcium mobilization assays, and molecular dynamics simulation was employed. Sixteen peptides were synthesized for sensory validation, confirming 15 umami peptides. LE, AE, GEDLMVQ, and FEEINKV exhibited the strongest enhancement in both monosodium glutamate and inosinate/disodium guanylate systems, with GEDLMVQ showing the lowest enhancement threshold (0.0079 mM). Fermentation significantly increased most umami peptide concentrations, peaking at 24 h. Molecular docking implicated T1R1-VFTD as the main binding domain, mediated primarily by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic contacts, and van der Waals forces. Representative peptides induced TAS1R1-associated Ca2+ responses with distinct kinetics. Molecular dynamics simulations provided supportive structural information for interpreting peptide-receptor interactions. These findings support a feasible strategy for obtaining sustainable flavor enhancers from soybean byproducts.

The current study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and potential mechanisms of ellagic acid-Fucus vesiculosus polysaccharide solid dispersion (EA/FVP SD) based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory cell and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice models. The cell experiment showed that EA/FVP SD possessed a better in vitro anti-inflammatory activity than EA or FVP alone. Further colitis mice experiments showed that EA/FVP SD administration significantly ameliorated symptoms in colitis mice by reversing the weight loss, reducing the disease activity index (DAI) scores, maintaining the colon length and decreasing the levels of pro-inflammatory factors (such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β). Immunofluorescent staining suggested that the anti-inflammatory activity was related to the down-regulation of CD11b and F4/80 protein expression levels. Notedly, high dose EA/FVP SD exhibited the best performance in reducing the fluorescence intensity. Moreover, microbiome analysis indicated that EA/FVP SD administration could reverse the abnormal bacteria composition changes and enhance the intestinal barrier function. Metabolomic profiling suggested the alterations of EA/FVP SD in key metabolic pathways, including linoleic acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, necroptosis/apoptosis-related processes, and FoxO signaling pathway, which may be associated with changes in gut microbiota. These findings support EA/FVP SD as a candidate adjuvant strategy for colitis management, while further pharmacokinetic and pathway-validation studies are still needed.

Natural functional hydrophilic colloids with glycolipid-modulating activities demonstrated tremendous developmental potential. Establishing precise structure-activity relationships requires highly purified and structurally defined pectin. A novel multidomain pectin (P1) was successfully purified from P. emblica through integrated yeast fermentation, XAD-16 macroporous resin treatment, and ultrafiltration. Structure-activity analysis demonstrated that RG-I domain proportion/side chain type and molecular conformation (depolymerization and aggregation) of polysaccharide exerted comprehensive effects on the upper gastrointestinal glycolipid regulation. In addition, multidomain pectin with a stable structure could show greater proliferative ability of mixed probiotics related to glycolipid metabolism. Molecular simulations identified the RG-I domain as the primary bioactive region. Arabinan side chains mediated starch binding via van der Waals and hydrogen bonding interactions, while galactan components facilitated bile acid and cholesterol complexation through van der Waals interactions. This study delineated the multitarget mechanistic principles underlying P1's modulation of glycolipid metabolism disorders, providing molecular insights for pectin polysaccharide structure-function studies.

Whey protein isolate (WPI), rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), is a leading nutritional intervention against sarcopenia. However, its efficacy is severely hindered by age-related gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. This study systematically investigated the potential of controlled enzymatic hydrolysis to tailor WPI functionality for elderly GI conditions. WPI was hydrolyzed using trypsin, chymotrypsin, and alcalase, each exhibiting different cleavage specificities, thereby generating hydrolysates with divergent BCAA positional distributions. Results demonstrated that hydrolysates prepared by trypsin and alcalase showed high BCAA recovery rate (>90%)and those with high degree of hydrolysis (DH = 10%, designated Try-3 and Alc-3), significantly improved protein digestibility (by 22.14% to 25.52%) and BCAA uptake (1.63 to 2.13 fold compared with WPI, P < 0.05) under simulated elderly conditions using a coupled in vitro digestion/Caco-2 absorption model. Mechanistically, Try-3 and Alc-3 exhibited enhanced colloidal stability with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 200 nm during digestion, which mitigated gastric aggregation. This colloidal behavior consequently facilitated protein digestion and BCAA release. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies further validated that Try-3 and Alc-3 significantly enhanced systemic BCAA bioavailability by 1.47 fold and 1.31 fold, respectively, compared to WPI. This study provides a feasible strategy to improve BCAA absorption via enzymatic engineering, highlighting the critical roles of peptide localization and digestive colloidal behavior in optimizing nutritional outcomes for the elderly.

BACKGROUND:Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short-chain molecules capable of enhancing the transmembrane delivery of bioactive substances, displaying extensive application potential in the delivery of functional components and the improvement of their bioavailability. Traditional CPP discovery methods, however, rely on a tedious, step-by-step screening process involving cell and animal experiments, which is highly inefficient. METHODS:The deep-learning model, PepOSX-AI: CPP, was developed based on the Transformer architecture and integrative features of six physicochemical descriptors. This involved a series of explorations of model parameters and automated hyperparameter optimization. The model achieved a high area under the curve (AUC) of 0.914 on the dataset. Furthermore, the model effectively captured long-range dependencies in amino acid sequences through a self-attention mechanism, enabling the interpretability of attention patterns. This capability facilitates the identification of key sequence features influencing peptide penetration ability. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY:In comparison to some existing CPP prediction models, PepOSX-AI: CPP demonstrated an accuracy of 91.00% on the application test set, highlighting its acceptable predictive performance. It provides a novel computational tool and theoretical basis for the screening of CPPs. Based on these findings, an online platform was also developed to facilitate user application.

Emulsion gels are dual carriers of hydrophilic/hydrophobic nutrients that can be used as nutrient enhancers. This study used the mineral Fe2+ and the functional lipid DHA as model nutrients. The electrostatic assembly behavior of whey protein isolates fibril (WPIF) and Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch polysaccharide (ASKP) was used to form a specific emulsion structure. When crosslinked with iron ions, a composite emulsion gel (CEG) with a random arrangement interface-semi-interpenetrated network and a phase separation emulsion gel (PEG) with an aligned arrangement interface-layered network were constructed. The results showed that PEG exhibited a looser layered network structure, lower gel strength and viscoelasticity. However, following simulated gastrointestinal digestion, both emulsion gels demonstrated the capacity to achieve intestinal targeting. Due to the stepwise crosslinking of aligned WPIF-Fe2+ and ASKP-Fe3+ in the formation of the PEG system, it exhibited sustained-release digestion behavior and nutrient release efficiency. The iron ions were almost entirely released (>98%) from both gels, and the release rate of free fatty acids (FFAs) was higher for PEG than CEG. The efficiency of nutrient absorption was significantly higher than that of the Free group, which exhibited significantly enhanced transcellular membrane capacity. The relative bioavailability of iron in PEG and CEG reached 135% and 128%, respectively. In this study, emulsion gels were constructed in a novel cross-linking manner for dual-nutrient (Fe2+ and DHA) synergistic delivery, showing considerable promise for enhanced nutrient delivery and controlled release.

Walnut meal is a protein-rich by-product of oil extraction. The extraction method may influence the quality of the protein within walnut meal and determine its potential application value. However, comparative studies on the characteristics of walnut meal protein under different oil extraction methods, particularly emerging green methods, remain scarce. This study analyzed the structural, functional and digestive properties of walnut protein (WP) isolated from meals defatted using three methods: pressing extraction (PE, traditional), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE, green), and aqueous extraction (AE, green). PE induced extensive structural unfolding and disruption to intermolecular forces, yielding WP with the highest solubility and superior emulsifying properties. In contrast, SFE preserved the native, compact protein structure, yielding WP with superior water-holding capacity and the strongest gelling ability. AE-WP exhibited intermediate structural characteristics and the highest in vitro protein digestibility, indicating that moderate denaturation benefited protein digestion. In terms of peptide release during protein digestion, the looser structures of SFE-WP and AE-WP facilitated the release of low-molecular-weight and bioactive peptides. Furthermore, strong correlations were found between structural characteristics (e.g., surface hydrophobicity, secondary structure, aggregation state and intermolecular forces) and functional/digestive performance, providing a scientific structure-property relationship for the targeted use of proteins in walnut meals.

Sturgeon roe protein hydrolysate (SRH) was prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis and evaluated for skin-protective activities across epidermal oxidative-injury responses and dermal ECM/senescence-related endpoints. In an H2O2-challenged HaCaT model, SRH protected keratinocytes against oxidative injury, improved cellular antioxidant status, and enhanced repair-related functions (hyaluronic acid secretion and scratch closure), providing screening-oriented functional justification for downstream peptide mining. UPLC-MS/MS peptidomics coupled with in silico prioritization shortlisted candidate peptides from SRH, and Asn-Leu-Pro-Leu (NLPL) was selected for validation. In an H2O2-challenged HSF model, SRH and NLPL increased type III and type IV collagen and attenuated senescence hallmarks by increasing relative telomere length and NAD+ content while reducing SA-β-gal activity. In a D-galactose-induced oxidative-stress-driven accelerated aging-like mouse model, both interventions increased skin collagen and HA and improved systemic redox status. A rat absorption study detected intact NLPL in serum after oral administration, providing proof-of-concept evidence for partial intact uptake and supporting the plausibility of oral activity. Across most endpoints, SRH outperformed NLPL, which may reflect multi-component effects of the peptide mixture in SRH. Collectively, these results support SRH and NLPL as nutricosmetic candidates targeting oxidative-stress resilience and dermal ECM/senescence-related outcomes associated with skin aging.

Nanosized iron (Nano-Fe), a potential and innovative fortifier in food matrices, is prone to rapid aggregation and irreversible oxidation, restricting its applicability. In the present study, soy protein-based short nanorods (similar to 100 nm), worm-like nanofibrils (similar to 100 nm), and spherical nanoparticles (similar to 40 nm) could be fabricated through controlled enzymatic hydrolysis followed by acid-thermal treatment, depending on the degree of hydrolysis (3%, 6%, and 9%, respectively). All three nanostructures were demonstrated to have potential as colloidal stabilizers and antioxidant nanocarriers for Nano-Fe. Among them, soy protein nanoparticles (SPNP) exhibited the highest iron-binding capacity and reducing power, attributed to their abundant small peptides, exposed sulfhydryl groups, and high surface hydrophobicity. Compared with traditional soy protein nanofibrils, the resulting protein-iron nanohybrids (SPNP-Fe) markedly improved the aqueous dispersibility of Nano-Fe while simultaneously maintaining a high proportion of bioaccessible Fe(II). Furthermore, SPNP-Fe exhibited robust stability under various processing and storage conditions, resisting iron oxidation under high temperature, pH fluctuations, freeze-drying, and ambient storage. Cytotoxicity evaluation confirmed the high biocompatibility of SPNP-Fe, comparable to or even better than FeSO4 at specific concentrations. Notably, SPNP-Fe minimized undesirable color changes in various food matrices and effectively inhibited iron-catalyzed lipid oxidation in emulsions. This study demonstrated that soy protein nanoparticles prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis could serve as efficient colloidal stabilizers and provide a sustainable strategy for iron fortification.

Some producers add monosodium glutamate (MSG), yeast extract (YE), enzymatic hydrolysate of wheat (EW), and enzymatic hydrolysate of corn (EC) in traditional soy sauce (TSS) to enhance its competitiveness, seriously damaging consumer's rights. Currently, no reliable and rapid methods can detect the additives in TSS. This study successfully developed a method by combining NIR with chemometrics to solve the problem. Spectra of 30 TSS and 320 additive-added samples were analyzed by DD-SIMCA, random forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and backpropagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) models for qualitative classification. A competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS)-optimized partial least squares (PLS) model was employed for quantitative prediction. DD-SIMCA, SVM, KNN, RF and BP-ANN achieved above 95%, classification accuracy. CARS-optimized PLS model showed strong predictability with correlation coefficient of the prediction set (Rp) above 0.98 and residual predictive deviation (RPD) above 3.0, demonstrating a reliable and rapid approach was established.

Structuring emulsion gels with dietary fibers offers a promising strategy for regulating lipid digestion. In this study, insoluble soybean fibers (ISFs) modified by acidic (pH 3, S3-ISF) or alkaline (pH 11, S11-ISF) steam-cooking were used to prepare emulsions/emulsion gels, and their effects on interfacial behavior, gel structure, rheology, and digestion properties were evaluated. S3-ISF formed self-supporting weak emulsion gels at 1.0 wt%, whereas S11-ISF required 2.0 wt%. Although both systems exhibited similar droplet sizes at these concentrations (25.89 and 25.14 μm, respectively), S3-ISF produced a denser and more integrated droplet-fiber network. Consistent with its higher residual protein content, S3-ISF reduced interfacial tension more rapidly and reached a lower value than S11-ISF (8.56 vs. 11.24 mN/m), while forming a stronger and more elastic interfacial film. Accordingly, S3-ISF emulsion gels exhibited higher viscosity, storage modulus (G' up to 405.3 Pa), and plateau modulus (G'p up to 270.05 Pa). During simulated digestion, S3-ISF emulsion gels maintained smaller gastric droplet/aggregate structures, whereas S11-ISF systems showed weaker interfacial protection and greater aggregation. Final free fatty acid release ranged from 25.20% to 29.95%, with S3-ISF systems generally showing slightly higher values than S11-ISF systems. These findings demonstrate that pH-modified ISF can tailor interfacial and matrix-structuring roles, thereby moderately regulating emulsion-gel structure and lipid digestive.