Carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin/chitosan complexes formed through electrostatic interactions to stabilize Pickering emulsions: A delivery vehicle for Antarctic krill oil

Herein, a novel polysaccharide-polysaccharide colloidal complexes was prepared through self-assembly driven by electrostatic interactions between carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CM-β-CD) and chitosan (CS). The formation process, physicochemical properties, and emulsifying capacity of the CM-β-CD/CS complexes in varying mass ratios and pH values were systematically investigated, and the stabilization mechanism of CM-β-CD/CS complexes for Pickering emulsion was discussed. The findings demonstrated that the complex prepared at mass ratio 1:1 and pH 5 exhibited excellent interfacial activity and was able to absorb at interfaces to form interfacial films. Furthermore, it was capable of forming a reticular structure, which served as a synergistic stabilizer of the emulsions. Subsequently, this complex was selected to prepare Pickering emulsions loaded with Antarctic krill oil (AKO). The stability, microstructures, and rheological behavior of Pickering emulsion with varying particle concentrations and oil fractions were investigated. The results indicated that the AKO emulsions prepared from the oil fraction of 0.20 and 0.1% concentration of the complexes had the most robust physical stability. Besides, the AKO emulsion had enhanced oxidative stability and higher bioaccessibility than AKO. This study supports the development of polysaccharide-based emulsifiers and expands the application of AKO in the food industry.