Effect of curcumin/cyclodextrin composite on the gelation and 3D printability of к-carrageenan in the sucrose co-solute field

Although the gelation mechanism of к-carrageenan (KC) is well understood, the interaction between cyclodextrin composites and KC in the presence of co-solutes, and its impact on gel properties, have not been clearly studied. In this study, the effects of hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD)-curcumin (CUR) composite on the gel properties and 3D printing properties of KC were studied using sucrose (SUC) as co-solute. Results indicated that the KC gel containing the HPBCD-CUR composite exhibited the highest hardness and gumminess. All composite gels demonstrated shear thinning characteristics, and the KC gel containing the HPBCD-CUR composite had the smallest yield stress (τf, 92.92 Pa) and consistency coefficient ( K , 23.24 Pa·s n ). By analyzing the gelation temperature (Tg) and gel structure formation rate (SDRa), it was found that the addition of the HPBCD-CUR composite resulted in the KC gel reached the maximum Tg (37.04 °C) and SDRa (13.06 Pa/min). Meanwhile, the composite gel achieved optimal 3D printing performance at 40 °C. This study highlights the advantages of encapsulating CUR with HPBCD, offering new insights for 3D printing of functional gel-based foods.