Study on the regulatory effect of ovalbumin-konjac glucomannan complexes-stabilized HIPPEs on the stability of loaded astaxanthin

Food-grade high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) prepared from natural protein-based particles have attracted much attention in the food manufacturing industry. This study developed ovalbumin-konjac glucomannan (OVA-KGM) complexes to stabilize astaxanthin (AST)-loaded HIPPEs. The 2.0% OVA-0.2% KGM complex could stabilize 85% of the internal phase of HIPPEs. The complex formed a three-dimensional network structure around the oil droplets, thereby endowing HIPPEs with higher viscoelasticity, recovery, and thixotropy. The residual AST content in HIPPEs was 51.4% higher than that of free AST after storage at room temperature under visible light for 30 days. Importantly, the in vitro digestion results showed that the release rate of FFA in HIPPEs was as high as 96.7%, and the bioaccessibility of AST was improved to 46.9%. This work demonstrates that OVA-KGM complexes effectively solve the stability limitation of protein-based HIPPEs, providing an efficient, food-grade delivery system for hydrophobic bioactive substances like AST.