Construction of emulsion gel based on the interaction of anionic polysaccharide and soy protein isolate: Focusing on structural, emulsification and functional properties

In this study, the effects on the structures and emulsion gels of carrageenan (CA) and gum arabic (GA) with soybean protein isolate (SPI) were investigated. The results showed that CA and GA exposed hydrophobic groups to SPI, and formed complexes through non-covalent interactions to improve the stability of the complexes. Furthermore, the emulsion gels based on the emulsions exhibited that CA formed emulsion-filled gels with higher elasticity, stronger gel strength, and thermal reversibility, whereas GA formed emulsion-aggregated gels with higher viscosity, and a weak-gel network. The results of digestion showed that, CA was more helpful to slow down the release of free fatty acids and protect vitamin E during digestion. Compared with SPI-GA emulsion gel, SPI-CA emulsion gel had better physicochemical properties and stronger network structure. The results of this study may be useful in the development of anionic polysaccharides that interact with SPI, and they may provide new insights on the preparation of emulsion gels that slowly release fat-soluble nutrients.