Stability Of Gels Research Articles

Developing a Prolamin-Based Gel for Food Packaging: In-Vitro Assessment of Cytocompatibility.

Growing environmental concerns drive efforts to reduce packaging waste by adopting biodegradable polymers, coatings, and films. However, biodegradable materials used in packaging face challenges related to barrier properties, mechanical strength, and processing compatibility. A composite gel was developed using biodegradable compounds (prolamin, d-mannose, citric acid), as a coating to increase the oxygen barrier of food packaging materials. To improve gel stability and mechanical properties, the gels were physically cross-linked with particles synthesized from tetraethyl orthosilicate and tetramethyl orthosilicate precursors. Additionally, biocompatibility assessments were performed on human keratinocytes and fibroblasts, demonstrating the safety of the gels for consumer contact. The gel properties were characterized, including molecular structure, morphology, and topography. Biocompatibility of the gels was assessed using bioluminescent ATP assay to detect cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase assay to determine cell cytotoxicity, and a leukocyte stimulation test to detect inflammatory potential. A composite gel with strong oxygen barrier properties in low-humidity environments was prepared. Increasing the silane precursor to 50 wt% during gel preparation slowed degradation in water. The addition of citric acid decreased gel solubility. However, higher precursor amounts increased surface roughness, making the gel more brittle yet mechanically resistant. The increase of precursor in the gel also increased gel viscosity. Importantly, the gels showed no cytotoxicity on human keratinocytes or fibroblasts and had no inflammatory effects on leukocytes. This composite gel holds promise for oxygen barrier food packaging and is safe for consumer contact. Further research should focus on optimizing the stability of the oxygen barrier in humid environments and investigate the potential sensitizing effects of biodegradable materials on consumers.

Interaction between potato starch and barley β-glucan and its influence on starch pasting and gelling properties

The interactions between potato starch (PtS) and barley β-glucan (BBG) were investigated by preparing PtS-BBG mixtures, and the pasting, rheological, gelling and structural properties were evaluated. Rapid viscosity analysis suggested that BBG reduced the peak and breakdown viscosity, while increasing the setback viscosity of PtS. PtS-12%BBG showed the lowest leached amylose content (12.02 ± 0.36 %). The particle size distribution pattern of PtS was not changed with the addition of BBG, and the median diameter of PtS-12%BBG (88.21 ± 0.41 μm) was smaller than that of PtS (108.10 ± 6.26 μm). Rheological results showed that PtS and PtS-BBG gels exhibited weak gel behaviors, and BBG could remarkably affect the elastic and viscous modulus of PtS gels. Textural analysis suggested that the strength and hardness of PtS gels were increased when few BBG (<6 %, w/w) was present in the system. BBG improved the freeze-thaw stability of PtS gels. Structural analysis indicated that hydrogen bonds were the main force in the PtS-BBG systems. These results indicated that BBG interacted with starch via hydrogen bonds, which delayed starch gelatinization and improved gelling properties of PtS gels. Overall, this study gained insights into starch-polysaccharide interactions and revealed the possible applications of BBG in food processing.

Development and characterization of emulsion gels prepared via gliadin-based colloidal particles and gellan gum with tunable rheological properties for 3D printed dysphagia diet

Dysphagia, a condition characterized by difficulty swallowing, has emerged as a threat to health. Herein, we investigated the feasibility of preparing a novel 3D-printed dysphagia diet using emulsions and gellan gum. A gel network was facilitated by the inclusion of gellan gum, which also helped to reduce the size of the oil droplets. Emulsion gels (with 0.3 %–0.5 % gellan gum) were stable at 25 °C for 30 days and tolerated a high ionic concentration of 800 mmol L−1. Emulsion gels remained stable after heat treatment and centrifugation. The excellent stability of the emulsion gels was related to the three-dimensional network developed by the gellan gum. The rheological results validated the solid-state behavior, shear thinning behavior and structural recovery of emulsion gels. Emulsion gels with 0.3 %–0.5 % gellan gum were suitable for 3D printing since they had high printing accuracy, self-support, and smooth surface texture. International Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDIS) tests have shown that emulsion gels can be classified as a level 3–5 dysphagia diet. In addition, the bioaccessibility of astaxanthin increased 1.7 times after being encapsulated by emulsion gels. Overall, these results demonstrate the potential of emulsion gels in the development of novel 3D-printed diets for dysphagia and bioactive protection.

Surface Functionalization of Sugarcane-Bagasse-Derived Cellulose Nanocrystal for Pickering Emulsion Gel: Microstructural Properties and Stability Efficiency.

An environmentally friendly Pickering stabilizer was developed by upcycling sugarcane bagasse (SCB) into a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), which was subjected to surface modification by using quaternary ammonium compound to enhance its amphiphilic characteristics. The changes in microstructural properties of modified cellulose nanocrystal (m-CNC), such as surface functional group, thermal stability, surface morphology, elemental composition, and particle size distribution were investigated. Results indicated the success of quaternary ammonium compound grafting with the presence of a trimethyl-alkyl chain on the cellulose structure, while the m-CNC preserves the needle-like nanoparticles in length of ~534 nm and width of ~20 nm. The colloidal profile of m-CNC-stabilized oil-water emulsion gels with different concentrations of m-CNC (1-5 wt%), and oil:water (O:W) ratios (3:7, 5:5, 7:3) were examined. The emulsion gel stability study indicated that the optimal concentration of m-CNC (3 wt%) was able to stabilize all the emulsion gels at different O:W ratios with an emulsion index of >80% for 3 months. It is the minimum concentration of m-CNC to form a robust colloidal network around the small oil droplets, leading to the formation of stable emulsion gels. The emulsion gel with O:W ratio (3:7) with 3 wt% of m-CNC rendered the best m-CNC-oil-droplets dispersion. The m-CNC effectively retained the size of oil droplets (<10 μm for 3 months storage) against coalescence and creaming by creating a steric barrier between the two immiscible phases. Furthermore, the emulsion gel exhibited the highest viscosity and storage modulus which was able to prevent creaming or sedimentation of the emulsion gels.

Interaction between liposome and myofibrillar protein in surimi: Effect on gel structure and digestive characteristics

This study investigated the effects of the interaction between liposomes and myofibrillar protein (MP) on tilapia surimi. The strong interaction between liposomes and MP was primarily mediated through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction. Liposomes caused the unfolding of MP structure, resulting in the decrease of α-helix content and transformation of spatial structure. Notably, the appropriate ratio of liposomes improved the gel properties of tilapia surimi. The water distribution, microstructure, and texture characteristics further confirmed that liposomes strengthened the structure of surimi gel through non-covalent bonds. However, excessive liposomes (1.0 %) weakened gel characteristics and texture. Moreover, the proper ratio of liposomes enhanced the stability of surimi gels during digestion, reducing protein digestibility from 66.0 % to 54.8 %. Curcumin-loaded liposomes in gel matrix notably delayed digestion and improved bioavailability. This delay in digestion was attributed to the ability of liposomes to decrease the interaction between MP and digestive enzymes. This study provides new insight into the application of liposomes in protein-rich food matrixes.

Quinoa protein Pickering emulsion improves the freeze-thaw stability of myofibrillar protein gel: Maintaining protein composition, structure, conformation and digestibility and slowing down protein oxidation

In this work, the effects of quinoa protein Pickering emulsion (QPPE) on protein oxidation, structure and gastrointestinal digestion property of myofibrillar protein gels (MPGs) after freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles are revealed. SDS-PAGE results indicated that 5.0 %–10.0 % QPPE addition slowed down the protein degradation. Meanwhile, 5.0 %–7.5 % QPPE maintained the stability of the protein secondary and tertiary structure of MPGs after F-T cycles. The sulfhydryl group, disulfide bond and dityrosine content increased with QPPE supplementation. The conformations of disulfide bond changed from g-g-t and t-g-t to g-g-g after F-T cycles, and 5.0 %–7.5 % QPPE stabilized the changes of t-g-t conformation. Furthermore, the increase of dityrosine content after F-T cycles was significantly reduced with 7.5 % QPPE addition, indicating its effect to slow down protein oxidation of MPGs. In addition, MPGs with 5.0 % and 7.5 % QPPE showed noticeably higher zeta potential values than other groups, indicating the enhanced electrostatic repulsion and weakened aggregation caused by F-T damage. This work showed that 7.5 % QPPE improved the F-T stability of MPGs and reduced the protein denaturation and oxidation caused by F-T treatments, exerting no side effect on the digestion property of MPGs. QPPE can be used as a green and effective antifreeze in meat industry.

Development and characteristics of emulsion gels with microwave-assisted ferulic acid covalently modified soy protein: Structure, function and digestive properties

This work aims to investigate the effect of microwave-assisted ferulic acid (FA) covalently modified soy protein isolate (SPI), which acts as a stabilizer, upon the structural and functional properties of emulsion gel. The results showed that the microwave and FA covalently modified SPI could synergistically strengthen the colloidal properties of the system and improve its structure. The microwave-assisted FA covalently modified SPI maximized the absolute value of the ζ-potential (−33.5 ± 2.1 mV) and the thermal denaturation temperature (152.3 °C) of the system. In addition, the smaller system particle size (115.3 ± 3.3 nm) and the increase in irregular structure allowed the generation of stronger gel-like network structures in stable emulsion gel. The enhancement of uniform oil-water distribution and stability was also confirmed by LF-NMR and microstructure. The results of gastrointestinal digestion experiments showed that quercetin loaded on emulsion gels stabilized by SPI-FA-M promoted lipid hydrolysis and improved the bioaccessibility (from 20.0 ± 2.1% to 37.2 ± 1.5%) and stability (from 39.7 ± 1.3% to 78.3 ± 4.5%) of quercetin. Our findings provide a new perspective for understanding the potential applications of combined physical-chemical modified proteins as emulsion gels stabilizers in food delivery systems.

Study of Microstructure, Crystallographic Phases and Setting Time Evolution over Time of Portland Cement, Coarse Silica Fume, and Limestone (PC-SF-LS) Ternary Portland Cements

The use of silica fume as a partial replacement for Ordinary Portland Cement provides a wide variety of benefits, such as reduced pressure on natural resources, reduced CO2 footprint, and improved mechanical and durability properties. The formation of more stable crystallographic phases in the hardened cement paste can promote resistance to concrete attacks. However, using coarse silica fume may result in lower expenses and shorter workdays. In this work, coarse silica fume was used as a partial replacement of cement, by weight, at 3%, 5%, and 7%, and it was used as limestone filler at different particle sizes. The size of coarse silica fume used was 238 μm. The microstructural, compositional analysis, and crystalline phase content of mixed cements at different ages were evaluated. The addition of coarse silica fume and limestone promoted pore refinement of the composites and increased the calcium and silica content. The filling effect of fine limestone and coarse silica fume particles, as well as the formation of CSH gel, was found to be the main reason for the densified microstructure. The contributions of combined coarse silica fume and limestone improve the stability of CSH gels and pozzolanic reaction.

Preparation and comparison of two medical dressings made from the collagens from fish and bovine.

Collagen is used in medical dressings because of its high hydrophilicity, low immunogenicity, excellent biocompatibility, and degradability. These features can promote cell proliferation and platelet agglomeration. Herein, we studied the preparation of gel dressing by using silver carp skin collagen and bovine collagen as raw materials. Their properties and the application effects of collagen gel dressing were evaluated and compared. The centrifugal stability, rheology, and water-loss rate of silver carp skin collagen gel (SCG) and bovine tendon collagen gel (CTG) were determined. Results showed that the two gels were stable, and SCG had better rheology and ductility than CTG. However, the denaturation temperature and water-retention rate of SCG were slightly lower than those of CTG. Two collagen gels were used in the burn-repair experiment of KM mice. Results showed that the SCG and CTG were consistent with the wound-repair effect of commercially available products for shallow II-degree scald and deep II-degree scald. In the superficial shallow II scald experiment, SCG had a faster healing rate in the first 8 days and a shorter recovery time than CTG. In the deep II-degree scald experiment, the wound-healing rate of SCG on the 14th day reached 94.24%, which was 2 days faster than the recovery time of CTG. Moreover, the skin after wound healing was shallower than the scar produced after CTG treatment. Therefore, SCG had the potential to be used as the medical dressing.

All-Natural, Plant-Based Nanofibrils from Citrus Fiber and Glycyrrhizic Acid for Stabilization of Edible Emulsion Gels

All-Natural, Plant-Based Nanofibrils from Citrus Fiber and Glycyrrhizic Acid for Stabilization of Edible Emulsion Gels

Effects of chickpea protein-stabilized Pickering emulsion on the structure and gelling properties of hairtail fish myosin gel.

The effects of different amount (0-12%) of chickpea protein-stabilized Pickering emulsion (CPE) on the gelling properties, intermolecular interactions, microstructure, and physicochemical stability of hairtail fish myosin gels were investigated. The myosin gel with 6%-9% CPE demonstrated significantly higher viscoelasticity, gel strength, hardness, water-holding capacity and whiteness, compared to the control (P<0.05). In addition, Raman spectroscopy showed that CPE changed the microenvironment of the myosin, which promoted the changes in protein secondary structures, disulfide bond conformation and the local environments of the composite gels. The addition of 6%-9% CPE also enhanced the disulfide bond and hydrophobic interaction of myosin gels which induced more compact gel network structures. Furthermore, CPE improved the lipid oxidative stability and freeze-thaw stability of myosin gel. The results indicated that CPE could improve the gelling properties of myosin, making it a potential new additive and lipid substitute for the development of new emulsion gel products.

Influence of Gaseous Ozonation on Bio-Techno-Functionality, In Vitro Nutrient Digestibility, and Molecular Properties of Red Sorghum Flour

ABSTRACT The current investigation aimed at evaluating the effect of different applied ozone dosages of 32.0, 38.0, 44.0 and 50.0 g.kg−1 on techno-functional properties, structural properties, molecular interactions and thermal properties of red sorghum flour. Ozonation led to an increase in the water absorption capacity (1.79 to 2.15 g/g), water solubility index (1.59 to 5.13%), oil absorption capacity (1.27 to 1.71 g/g), swelling power (7.68 to 8.31 g/g), foaming capacity (10.14 to 13.91) and stability and paste clarity (19.35 to 34.30%T); however, there was a decrease in the gel consistency (95.50 to 40.20 mm), flour dispersibility (92.36 to 89.21%), emulsion activity (8.50 to 7.00%) and stability (32 to 22.20%). This alteration in the functional properties could be attributed to the cleavage of various groups due to oxidation and resulting in increased electronegativity. Ozonation enhanced the total phenolic content (226.34 to 276.23 mg GAE/100 g), FRAP activity (8.14 and 12.65 µmol TE/g), in vitro starch digestibility while reduced the total flavonoid content (605.26 to 582.15 mg QE/100 g), DPPH (10.90 to 9.61%RSA) and in vitro protein digestibility. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared microscopy showed modification in the structure and molecular interaction attributing to the widening of the protein and compactness of the starch. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Principal component analysis (PCA) were employed for studying the relationship between different variables and for validation of changes due to ozonation.

Formulation and Antibacterial Activity of Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) Extract Gel Against Propionibacterium acne

Introduction: The increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics provides an opportunity to obtain antibacterial compounds from natural ingredients. Porang is a plant belonging to the Araceae family that has potential against Propionibacterium acne. Aims: This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the preparation of porang tuber extract gel against Propionibacterium acne. Methods: The porang were extraction by maceration using ethanol. The extract porang were made gel with various concentration and evaluation their stability and antibacterial activity using disc diffusion method. Result: The hedonic test showed no significant differenece each of formula and stable during storage in two weeks. On the other hand, only formula F2 and F3 can inhibit of Propionibacterium acnee. Conclusion: The porang extract can made of gel and good stability. The formula F2 and F3 have antibacterial activity.

Cathode of Co9S8/NiMn-LDH with enhanced cycle stability and anode of carbon gels for asymmetric supercapacitors

Nickel‑manganese layered double hydroxide (NiMn-LDH) is used for supercapacitors due to its high redox activity and theoretical capacity, while with the disadvantages of low conductivity and unstable structure. Here, we report a Co9S8/NiMn-LDH composite electrode material with a core-shell heterostructure grown in situ on a carbon cloth (CC). NiMn-LDH nanosheets are uniformly and densely grown in the outer layer of Co9S8 nanorods, and this structure design makes full use of the high activity of NiMn-LDH. Meanwhile, the internal electric field formed at the heterogeneous interface is shown by density functional theory (DFT) calculations to effectively accelerate the diffusion of OH− in the electrode. The core-shell heterostructure makes it exhibit better electrochemical performance than NiMn-LDH as a positive electrode (178.7 mA h g−1 specific capacity at 1 A g−1, 80.6 % capacity retention after 5000 cycles). In addition, a carbon gels anode was prepared by the sol-gel method and subsequent carbonization steps, which has excellent performance (specific capacitance of 145.6 F g−1 at 1 A g−1). The assembled Co9S8/NiMn-LDH//C-gel asymmetric supercapacitor provides an energy density of 35.2 Wh kg−1 at 850 W kg−1. Further assembled into a quasi-solid-state flexible supercapacitor, two devices in series can light an LED lamp, showing its potential application prospects in energy storage systems.

Selective miRNA quantitation with high-temperature thermal gel electrophoresis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that control gene expression and correlate to the prognosis of numerous diseases. To support research efforts elucidating the roles of miRNAs in pathogenesis, rapid and inexpensive analytical methods are required to quantify miRNAs from biological samples. The challenge of developing new analyses with these time and cost constraints is compounded by the short sequence lengths and high degrees of homology between miRNAs that hinder detection selectivity. This report describes the development of a high-temperature thermal gel electrophoresis (TGE) method to rapidly quantify miRNAs with single-nucleotide resolution using low-cost microfluidic devices. Fluorescent probes were designed for three miRNAs that differed in sequence by one or two nucleotides. A microfluidic analysis was optimized to enrich miRNA-probe hybrids into a high-concentration band and then automatically initiate a separation to resolve each species. Analyses conducted at 30 °C exhibited significant off-target hybridization, as the different-yet-structurally-similar miRNAs bound to each probe, which biased measurements. To overcome this problem, the stability of thermal gels at elevated temperatures was exploited to conduct analyses. At 50 °C, off-target hybrids melted to prevent their detection without impeding the enrichment or separation of on-target hybrids. Selectivity studies validated that high-temperature TGE prevented off-target hybrids from interfering with the quantitative responses of the target miRNAs. This work demonstrates that TGE affords rapid, highly selective analyses of structurally similar miRNAs in low-complexity microfluidic devices, which is expected to facilitate diverse biomedical research.

Effect of mulberry leaf polysaccharides on the physicochemical, rheological, microstructure properties and in vitro starch digestibility of wheat starch during the freeze-thaw cycles

Temperature fluctuation damages the quality of starch-based foods, and the freeze-thaw cycle (FTC) can simulate this process. This study investigated how Mulberry leaf polysaccharides (MLP) affect the freeze-thaw stability and digestibility of wheat starch (WS). During FTC, MLP reduced the syneresis and retarded the water migration of WS gel. Meanwhile, MLP delayed the recrystallization of starch, which reduced the enthalpy value and crystallinity of WS gel during FTC. The addition of MLP significantly reduced the hardness of WS gel. Furthermore, MLP could prevent the deterioration of the rheological characteristic and preserve the network structure of the WS gel. In addition, MLP boosted the resistant starch and decreased the fast-digesting starch content in the freeze-thaw gel. Our findings suggested that MLP could enhance the freeze-thaw stability of WS gel, decrease the starch digestibility, and be an effective component in improving the quality of wheat starch-based frozen food.

Structure-activity relationship between gluten and dough quality of sprouted wheat flour based on air classification-induced component recombination.

Air classification can separate sprouted wheat flour (SWF) into three types: coarse wheat flour (F1), medium wheat flour (F2), and fine wheat flour (F3). The gluten quality of SWF can be indirectly improved by removing inferior parts (F3). In order to reveal underlying mechanism of this phenomenon, the composition and structure changes of gluten, as well as the rheological properties and fermentation characteristics of gluten in recombinant dough in the process of air classification of all three SWF types were analyzed in this study. Overall, sprouting significantly reduced the content of high molecular weight subunits, such as HMW-GS and ω-gliadin. It also destroyed the structure content, such as disulfide bonds, α-helix, and β-corner contents, which maintained the stability of gluten gel. Air classification made the above changes in F3 more severe but reversed them in F1. Moreover, rheological properties were more affected by gluten composition, whereas fermentation characteristics were more affected by gluten structure. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Optimization of the Methods to Develop Stable Polymer Gels for Water Management in Medium- and Ultra-High-Salinity Reservoirs.

Polymer gels suffer from a serious syneresis issue when exposed to high-temperature and high-salinity (HTHS) conditions, which limits their use as water-treatment agents in this type of reservoir. In this paper, the effects of the polymer type/concentration, deoxidizers, and stabilizers on the long-term stability of polymer gels were systematically studied; thus, the methods to develop stable polymer gels for two typical levels of salinity were optimized. The results show the following: (1) For a medium-salinity condition (TDS: 33,645.0 mg/L) at 125 °C, conventional HPAM gels completely dehydrate within only 1 day, and the addition of a deoxidizer hardly improved their stability. Some special polymers, e.g., AP-P5, MKY, and CPAM, are able to form stable gels if a high concentration of 0.8% is used; the syneresis rate of these gels is about 10% after 30 days. However, the addition of the complexant sodium oxalate significantly improves the stability of gels formed by all five of these different polymers, which behave with a 0% syneresis rate after 30 days pass. Complexants are the most economical and feasible agents to develop stable gels in medium-salinity water. (2) Gels enhanced using the methods above all become unstable in a more challenging ultra-high-saline condition (TDS: 225,068.0 mg/L). In this case, special calcium- and magnesium-resistant polymers are required to prepare stable gels, which show 0% syneresis rates after 30 days, have relatively low strengths, but do produce a good plugging effect in high-permeability cores.

Structural changes induced by ultrasound improve the ability of the myofibrillar protein to bind flavor compounds from spices

Effects of ultrasound (UT) treatments on the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of myofibrillar proteins (MPs), as well as their ability to bind to flavor compounds from spices, were investigated. The results demonstrated that UT treatment enhanced surface hydrophobicity, SH content, and absolute ζ-potential value of the MPs. Atomic force microscopy analysis displayed formation of MPs aggregates with small particle size in the UT-treated MPs samples. Meanwhile, UT treatment could improve the emulsifying properties and physical stability of MPs’ emulsion. Additionally, the MPs gel network structure and stability significantly improved following UT treatment. Changes in the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties enhanced the ability of MPs to bind to flavor substances from spices depending on the duration of UT treatment. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that the ability of myristicin, anethole, and estragole to bind to MPs was highly correlated with surface hydrophobicity, ζ-potential value, and α-helix content of MPs. The results of this study may help in understanding the relationship between the changes in MPs properties during the processing of meat products and their ability to bind to flavors from spices, thereby improving flavors retention and taste of processed meat products.

Insight into oil-water interfacial behaviors of whey protein isolate and sterol towards stabilizing high internal phase Pickering emulsion gels

This investigation elucidated stabilization of high internal phase Pickering emulsion gels (HIPPEGs) on the basis of oil-water interfacial adsorption properties of particles. The particles were prepared by whey protein isolate (WPI) and two structurally different sterols, including ergosterol (ES) and γ-oryzanol (γS). Initially, oil-water interfacial adsorption properties were improved in the presence of sterol. And WPI-γS exhibited higher contact angle and lower dynamic interfacial tension than WPI-ES. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring measurement further proved that adsorption mass and viscoelasticity of WPI-γS was higher than those of WPI-ES. Furthermore, WPI-sterol HIPPEGs showed lower average particle size and moisture content, higher absolute value of ζ-potential than WPI-stabilized HIPPEGs. Apparent viscosity, storage modulus and loss modulus of WPI were improved after the addition of sterol. Moreover, WPI-γS HIPPEGs exhibited higher stabilities and viscoelasticity than WPI-ES HIPPEGs. Additionally, compared with WPI-stabilized HIPPEGs, WPI-γS-loaded HIPPEGs showed shorter relaxation time and more uniform color distribution, indicating that droplet flow was restricted and more uniform, followed by WPI-ES-loaded HIPPEGs. Finally, super-resolution microscope results exhibited that sterol inhibited emulsion droplets aggregation due to steric hindrance. HIPPEGs stabilized by WPI-γS showed more homogeneous and smaller droplets than WPI-ES-loaded HIPPEGs. This work provided a theoretical support for stable HIPPEGs formed with protein-sterol particles, which would be applied to replace trans fats and cholesterol in various food products.