Pickering emulsions stabilized by amphiphilic anisotropic nanofibrils of glycated whey proteins

Anisotropic protein nanofibrils may be fabricated with unique interfacial properties by glycating proteins with saccharides. In this study, nanofibrils were produced from whey protein isolate (WPI) glycated with glucose, lactose, or maltodextrin by heating at pH 2.0 and 90 °C, and the properties of nanofibrils forming and stabilizing Pickering O/W emulsions were studied. Glycation reduced fibril length but not width based on atomic force and transmission electron microscopy. Nanofibrils derived from glycated WPI had the increased hydrophobicity and formed a thick layer on oil droplets that were more stable during prolonged storage at room temperature and at pH 2.0–8.0, 0–250 mM NaCl than emulsions prepared with WPI nanofibrils. The carbohydrate chain length positively impacted the emulsion viscosity while negatively impacted lipolysis and bioaccessibility of curcumin encapsulated in emulsions. These findings suggest unique properties of nanofibrils based on glycated proteins for preparation of emulsions with controllable digestion and release properties.