Preparation, stability and in vitro digestion of β-carotene-loaded emulsions stabilized by succinylated rice glutelin

BACKGROUND β -Carotene (BC) is highly susceptible to degradation during processing, storage and digestion. This study evaluated BC-loaded emulsions stabilized by succinylated rice glutelin (S-RG) against whey protein isolate (WPI) emulsions in terms of stability and bioaccessibility. RESLUTS S-RG emulsions exhibited significantly smaller particle sizes than WPI emulsions at pH 5 and 6, indicating better colloidal stability in mildly acidic conditions. Both systems showed comparable resistance to thermal treatment, ultrasonication and UV exposure. However, during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, the S-RG emulsion demonstrated superior functionality, achieving a fat release rate of 18.33 ± 0.89%, a BC bioretention rate of 52.5 ± 0.72% and a bioaccessibility of 21.61 ± 1.33% – all notably higher than those of the WPI control. CONCLUSION S-RG effectively protects BC and enhances its bioaccessibility, performing comparably or better than animal-derived WPI. These findings support S-RG as a sustainable, plant-based alternative for delivering sensitive lipophilic nutrients in functional food emulsions. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.