The sodium hyaluronate/sodium caseinate complex improves the emulsifying stability of EPA algae oil by forming an interface network

Sodium caseinate (SC) binds to sodium hyaluronate (SH) by non-covalent interactions. • SC/SH complex effectively encapsulates EPA-rich algal oil. • SC/SH emulsions show better salt, and storage stability with uniform droplets. • The SC/SH complex shows potential as a functional lipid stabilizer. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-rich algal oil is widely used in functional dairy products due to its favorable functional properties. However, its limited restricts broader application in the food industry. In this work, sodium hyaluronate (SH) was combined with sodium caseinate (SC) to form an aqueous network as an emulsifier for EPA. The binding mechanism between SC and SH was investigated via fluorescence spectroscopy and thermodynamic analysis, revealing that van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds dominate the SC-SH interaction. When used as an emulsifier, the SC/SH complex effectively encapsulated EPA-rich algal oil. The resulting emulsions exhibited significantly enhanced stability against environmental stresses—including storage, ionic, and oxidative stresses—with more uniform droplet size distribution. The SC/SH complex thus demonstrates potential as a stabilizer for functional lipid-delivery systems. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-rich algal oil is commonly used in functional dairy products due to its excellent functional properties, but its poor stability limits its wide application in the food industry. In this work, sodium hyaluronate (SH) was combined with sodium caseinate (SC) to form an aqueous network as an emulsifier for EPA. The binding mechanism was investigated via fluorescence spectroscopy and thermodynamic analysis, revealing that van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds dominate the SC-SH interaction. When used as an emulsifier, the SC/SH complex effectively encapsulated EPA-rich algal oil. The resulting emulsions exhibited significantly enhanced stability against environmental stresses—including storage, ionic, and oxidative conditions—with more uniform droplet size distribution. The SC/SH complex thus demonstrates potential as a stabilizer for functional lipid delivery systems. Download: Download high-res image (290KB) Download: Download full-size image