In vitro digestion of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by regenerated chitin.

Regenerated chitin (R-chitin) can stabilize oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions containing up to 50% oil at a low chitin dosage of 2 mg/g oil. The mean droplet size of the resulting emulsion decreased as more R-chitin was used. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated the adsorption of R-chitin on emulsion droplets surface, confirming the emulsions were stabilized via Pickering mechanism. The effects of R-chitin concentration on storage stability, microstructure, and lipid digestion properties were investigated. Pickering emulsions stabilized by R-chitin above 1.0% w/w exhibited outstanding physical stability against coalescence and Ostwald ripening. In particular, highly consistent emulsions that remained almost unchanged during oral, gastric, and intestine digestion could be prepared using R-chitin. The emulsions could enhance fullness and satiety perceptions at gastric level, and R-chitin could be used as a substitute for food emulsifiers for weight management via increasing satiation perception and reducing lipid digestion.