Antarctic krill oil high internal phase Pickering emulsion stabilized by bamboo protein gels and the anti-inflammatory effect in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

This study aims to introduce a high internal phase Pickering emulsion (HIPPE) stabilized by bamboo fungus protein gel particles (BGPs), incorporating Antarctic krill oil (KO), as a new delivery formulation to enrich the application of KO. The appropriate proportion of KO (2:8) contributed to HIPPE stabilization (φ = 80%). At pH 11, strong electrostatic interaction tended to produce KO-HIPPE with small droplet and homogeneous size (1.5 μm). BGPs dosage either under (0.5%) or high (2.0%) was prone to the destabilization of KO-HIPPE. In vitro studies indicated that KO-HIPPE had no effect on cell viability and suggested the safety and anti-inflammatory effect. In vivo studies showed that KO-HIPPE treatment could improve the clinical symptoms, suppress the overexpression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) and protect the intestinal barrier with function. The findings demonstrated that the HIPPE stabilized on BGPs had excellent loading efficiency of KO and good security, stability and functional activity.