Influence of gelation methods on the physicochemical properties and release behavior of whey protein isolate/κ-carrageenan gels

This study investigates the impact of different gelation methods on the physicochemical properties and release behavior of whey protein isolate (WPI)/κ-carrageenan gels loaded with curcumin. Various gelation methods, including enzymatic methods, chemical methods, and their combinations, were employed to prepare the gels. The results indicate that among the six gelation methods, the gels obtained through transglutaminase and glucono-δ-lactone (TG/GDL) treatment exhibited the highest hardness, measuring 264.4 g. Structural analyses and release properties revealed that a more compact cross-linked network gels was formed with TG/GDL treatment. The GDL and TG/GDL gels also exhibited higher curcumin encapsulation efficiency (75.43 % and 72.47 %) and sustained release properties during in vitro digestion. Kinetic modeling indicated a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism for curcumin release from GDL and TG/GDL gels, suggesting enhanced controlled release behavior. This research provides insights into optimizing protein-polysaccharide gel systems for functional food and pharmaceutical applications.