Construction and application of the pickering emulsion stabilized by genipin-crosslinked soybean protein isolate-chitooligosaccharide nanoparticle

Food-grade carbohydrate-protein nanoparticles used as stabilizers could satisfy the demands of the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries in terms of the safety and emulsifying function of Pickering emulsions. This study aimed to fabricate a new food-grade oligosaccharide-protein nanoparticle by crosslinking soy protein isolate (SPI) and chitooligosaccharide (COS) using genipin, and then this nanoparticle was applied as a stabilizer to prepare Pickering emulsions. The optimal Pickering emulsion preparation conditions were determined to be 0.6 φ soybean oil and 3 wt% nanoparticles. Under these optimal conditions, the resulting Pickering emulsion had a low emulsification index and significant storage stability. Pickering emulsions coated with fucoxanthin using this nanoparticle as a stabilizer had a significantly improved fucoxanthin light retention. These results indicate that Pickering emulsions prepared using genipin-crosslinked SPI-COS nanoparticles as a stabilizer may be able to preserve hydrophobic nutrients, such as carotenoids, thus improving the application of these nutrients in commercial products.