Effects of polymerization degree of short linear glucan on the properties of Pickering emulsion stabilized by short linear glucan/zein nanoparticles

Here we fabricated short linear glucan/zein (SLG/zein) complex nanoparticles using the reverse dropwise method and studied how the average SLG polymerization degree ( DPn) effects the complex nanoparticles' physicochemical properties and emulsion stability. Using fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectros-copies, we found that electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding were the main driving forces for complex nanoparticle formation. Furthermore, our wettability results showed that SLG with a low DPn can neutralize zein's hydrophobic properties, making the complex nanoparticles more suitable for stabilizing a Pickering emulsion. We then loaded the nanoparticles with curcumin and achieved a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 70.45%. After subjecting the emulsion to a three-step in vitro digestion process, we found that the complex nanoparticles with lower DPn values provided better protection against the biochemical conditions of gastric fluid, resulting in greater curcumin bioaccessibility. These results suggest that the SLG/zein complex nano -particles have great potential to encapsulate bioactive ingredients as a Pickering emulsifier.