Physical and Gastrointestinal Digestive Properties of Sodium Caseinate Emulsions Regulated by Four Different Polysaccharides

Polysaccharide intervention is an effective strategy to regulate properties of emulsions. In this study, xanthan gum (XG), konjac glucomannan (KGM), guar gum (GG), and inulin (IN) were selected to regulate physical and gastrointestinal digestive properties of sodium caseinate (CAS) oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The results indicate that IN could not improve CAS emulsion properties, while XG, KGM, and GG significantly reduced droplet size and improved emulsions’ stability. With the increase of the polysaccharide concentration, the G′ and G″ of the emulsions increased and the emulsions showed an obvious “solid-like” state, which effectively slowed down the “strain-thinning” phenomenon. The microstructure demonstrated that the polysaccharide chains are effectively connected with the surface membrane of droplets, which effectively improves interfacial membrane strength and inhibits droplet aggregation. In vitro digestion simulations proved that polysaccharides effectively modulate emulsion lipid release, providing an excellent lipid environment for curcumin absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. The order of the four polysaccharides in improving CAS emulsions was XG > KGM > GG > IN. This study dissects the differential regulation of physical and gastrointestinal digestive properties of emulsion by polysaccharides, providing theoretical support for functional emulsions for diverse requirements.