Palm‐based nanocrystal cellulose‐stabilized Pickering emulsions: investigating characteristics, stability and in vitro digestion for potential application as substitution of coconut milk

Coconut milk encounters challenges related to global sustainability and its high fat content, which may potentially have adverse effects on health. Nanocrystal cellulose (NCC) has gained attention due to its amphiphilic nature, high aspect ratio and large elastic modulus, making it a beneficial natural stabilizer for emulsion stabilization. Recent studies have demonstrated that NCC plays a role in modulating gastrointestinal digestion. Therefore, this study aims to produce a Pickering emulsion stabilized by NCC (NCC-PE) as a potential substitute for coconut milk. The study evaluated the capability of NCC in stabilizing a Pickering emulsion. NCC-PE was exposed to simulated gastrointestinal digestion and the results were compared with those for lecithin-stabilized Pickering emulsion and commercial coconut milk. In terms of d32, viscosity and creaming index, 4 g kg-1 of NCC effectively stabilized 200 g kg-1 (20%) of palm oil to formulate Pickering emulsions with a mean d32 of 4 μm and zeta potential of -49.09 ± 1.63 mV and demonstrating high stability against creaming. NCC-PE remains stable for at least 14 days when stored at room temperature (25 °C). The d32 and zeta potential of Pickering emulsions were evaluated under different pH (4-10), temperature (-18 to 75 °C) and ionic strength (0-250 mmol L-1), exhibiting satisfactory performance and high stability against creaming, except at pH 2 and 100 °C. Results indicated slower lipid hydrolysis in NCC-PE (62.47 ± 2.5%) compared with coconut milk (67.9 ± 1.14%) in a simulated gastrointestinal model. Our results highlight the potential of NCC-PE to act as substitute for coconut milk, influencing the release of free fatty acids. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.