Development of interpenetrating network gels based on co-gelation of heteroprotein aggregates and sugar beet pectin for physicochemical functional enhancement of W-O-W systems

The advancement and utilization of functional foods hold the capacity to efficaciously enhance human nutrition and well-being. However, within the present epoch characterized by recurrent food safety and quality concerns, there exists a paucity of suitable food systems that are capable of concurrently amalgamating the merits of nutritional enrichment and high stability. Therefore, in this study, heteroprotein aggregates were synthesized with modified-soy lipophilic protein (SLP) and lysozyme (LY) as the main components. Subsequently, an interpenetrating network (IPN) was constructed using sugar beet pectin (SBP) and heteroprotein aggregates to form W-O-W emulsion gels. The heteroprotein aggregates formed by SLP and LY provided a stable oil-water interface, allowing the IPN to maximally confine the internal oil droplets and improve the mechanical properties and water retention capacity of the W-O-W emulsion gels. Meanwhile, the W-O-W emulsion gels also possessed pH-responsiveness, endowing them with the ability to modulate their self-morphology and network structure in accordance with pH fluctuations. Moreover, they possessed outstanding protective and slow-release efficacies, which were conducive to the targeted release of the delivered substances. Thus, W-O-W emulsion gels based on heteroprotein aggregation and SBP show great potential as an option for functional food applications.