Polysaccharide-based microgels as carriers for functional food ingredients: Fabrication, functional properties, mechanisms, and applications

Functional food ingredients are prone to poor stability and low bioavailability during processing, storage, and digestion, which limits their functional efficacy and thus drives the development of efficient delivery carriers. By regulating the molecular structure of polysaccharides (including glycosidic bonds, degree of branching, molecular weight and its distribution, and chain conformation), polysaccharide-based microgel carriers with targeted properties can be constructed under different induction conditions. Furthermore, functional ingredients can be encapsulated via self-assembly, physical, or chemical embedding to form polysaccharide-based microgel delivery systems. This paper summarizes the core functional properties of these systems (e.g., digestive, rheological, and hydration properties). On this basis, it further explores the release behavior under different environments, mechanisms, and the regulatory effect of the gel network on release. Finally, it elaborates on their applications in emerging food fields, including improving the bioavailability of functional ingredients, developing dysphagia-friendly foods, and serving as immobilized enzyme carriers. This article aims to comprehensively sort out the full-chain research context of polysaccharide-based microgels from molecular structure regulation and gelation construction to food applications, and clarify their application potential in emerging food fields.