Polyphenol Loaded W1/O/W2 Emulsions Stabilized with Lesser Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) Protein Concentrate Produced by Membrane Emulsification: Stability under Simulated Storage, Process, and Digestion Conditions.

Junjing Wang,Montserrat Ferrando,Carme Güell,Aurélie Ballon,Sílvia De Lamo-Castellví,Karin Schroën

doi:10.3390/foods10122997

Junjing Wang, Montserrat Ferrando + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10122997

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Abstract

Water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) emulsions are complex delivery systems for polyphenols amongst other bio-actives. To stabilize the oil–water interphase, dairy proteins are commonly employed, which are ideally replaced by other, more sustainable sources, such as insect proteins. In this study, lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) protein concentrate (LMPC) is assessed and compared to whey protein (WPI) and pea protein (PPI), to stabilize W1/O/W2 emulsions and encapsulate a commercial polyphenol. The results show that LMPC is able to stabilize W1/O/W2 emulsions comparably to whey protein and pea protein when using a low-energy membrane emulsification system. The final droplet size (d4,3) is 7.4 μm and encapsulation efficiency is between 72 and 74%, regardless of the protein used. Under acidic conditions, the LMPC shows a similar performance to whey protein and outperforms pea protein. Under alkaline conditions, the three proteins perform similarly, while the LMPC-stabilized emulsions are less able to withstand osmotic pressure differences. The LMPC stabilized emulsions are also more prone to droplet coalescence after a freeze–thaw cycle than the WPI-stabilized ones, but they are the most stable when exposed to the highest temperatures tested (90 °C). The results show LMPC’s ability to stabilize multiple emulsions and encapsulate a polyphenol, which opens the door for application in foods.

Highlights

Multiple emulsion-based delivery systems, especially water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsions, can be applied to tune the bioactive profile of foods, pharma products, and cosmetics, as they can encapsulate, protect, and release bioactive lipids and water-soluble compounds such as vitamins B and C, flavorings, polyphenols, and probiotics [1,2,3]
Production of W1/O/W2 Emulsions Stabilized with lesser mealworm protein concentrate (LMPC), whey protein (WPI), and pea protein (PPI) 3.1.1
The span of WPI-stabilized emulsions sharply decreased to 0.85 after the first cycle, while for LMPC and PPI emulsions the span reached this value after the second emulsification cycle

Summary

Introduction

Multiple emulsion-based delivery systems, especially water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsions, can be applied to tune the bioactive profile of foods, pharma products, and cosmetics, as they can encapsulate, protect, and release bioactive lipids (such as vitamin E) and water-soluble compounds such as vitamins B and C, flavorings, polyphenols, and probiotics [1,2,3]. Polyphenols are well-known, highly effective antioxidants that possess various health benefits, such as the prevention of cancer, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases [4,5] They exist in a wide range of plants in nature, and are a well-known target for by-product or food-waste valorization, such as grape seeds [6], spent coffee grounds [7], carob pulp [8] and olive leaves [9]. Due to their sensitivity to light, heat, oxidation, and certain pH values, the encapsulation of polyphenols has been carried out using several technologies. The incorporation of polyphenols encapsulated in W1/O/W2 emulsions into several food matrices, for instance, yoghurt [10,13], salad dressing [9], and meat products [14], have been recently reported in the literature

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