Physicochemical properties and in vitro digestive behavior of astaxanthin loaded Pickering emulsion gel regulated by konjac glucomannan and κ-carrageenan

This study aimed to elaborate the combination effect of polysaccharides on physicochemical properties and in vitro digestive behavior of astaxanthin (AST)-loaded Pickering emulsion gel. AST-loaded Pickering emulsion gel was prepared by heating Pickering emulsion with konjac glucomannan (KGM) and κ-carrageenan (CRG). The microstructure revealed that adding the two polysaccharides resulted in Pickering emulsion forming a network structure. It exhibited a denser and more uniform network structure, enhancing its mechanical properties four times and increasing its water-holding capacity by 20 %. In vitro digestion experiments demonstrated that the release of free fatty acids from the Pickering emulsion gel (4.25 %) was notably lower than that from conventional Pickering emulsion (17.19 %), whereas AST bioaccessibility was remarkably low at 0.003 %. It provided a feasible strategy to regulate the bioaccessibility in Pickering emulsion, which has theoretical significance to guide the current eutrophic diet people.