Three steviol glycosides (SGs) with distinct molecular structures-rebaudioside A (Reb A), stevioside (STV), and rebaudioside M (Reb M)-were selected to systematically investigate their binding behaviors with two major soy protein components, glycinin (11S) and β-conglycinin (7S), in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the impact of these interactions on the sensory properties of SGs was explored. The results indicated that SGs formed complexes with proteins primarily through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, with their binding affinity dually regulated by the molecular structure of SGs and the subunit structure of proteins. Specifically, Reb M, with the highest number of sugar moieties, exhibited the strongest binding capacity, followed by Reb A, with STV showing the weakest affinity. Notably, the binding ratios for all SG concentrations were below 20%. Regarding the two protein fractions, 11S showed a higher binding capacity for SGs than did 7S. Sensory evaluation revealed that SG sweetness was regulated by soy proteins in solutions in a concentration-dependent manner. Binding with 0.1% soy proteins mitigated the negative sensory attributes of Reb A and STV at a low concentration (0.1%) without significantly compromising their sweetness intensity. At a medium SG concentration (0.3%), it slightly attenuated the sweetness intensity of the three SGs but still inhibited some negative attributes of Reb A and STV. However, at a high SG concentration (0.5%), the masking effect on the bitterness and astringency was limited.

In this study, highly stable algal oil-based nanoemulsions stabilized by a combination of soy protein isolate (SPI) and stevioside (STE) were prepared by pre-structuring the oil phase. The microstructure observation, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test, and rheological analysis of the algal oil-based oleogels showed that in algal oil with 4% (m/m) beeswax added, a large number of crystals were connected to form a stable network structure, thereby constructing a stable oleogel. The effects of algal oil pre-structuring on the formation and stability of algal oil-based nanoemulsions were investigated. The results showed that the addition of beeswax had no significant effect on nanoemulsion formation. With increasing concentration of beeswax in algal oil (up to 6%), the physical stability of nanoemulsions gradually increased; however, at a higher concentration (8%), more rigid gel network was formed, which destroyed the interfacial layer and in turn led to deterioration of the physical stability of the nanoemulsion. The results of thermal oxidation and photooxidation tests showed that oil phase structuring significantly improved the oxidative stability of the nanoemulsion, and the sample with 6% beeswax added in the oil phase displayed the highest oxidative stability. This study can provide technical support for the preparation of highly stable nanoemulsion-based delivery systems for algal oil in the food industry.

This study utilized egg yolk peptide micellar nanoparticles (EYPNs), self-assembled from amphiphilic egg yolk peptides (EYPs), as a novel nanocarrier for improving the solubility and bioaccessibility of hydrophobic active compounds. EYPNs were dissociated by adjusting pH to 12.0 and mixed with the hydrophobic model compound curcumin (Cur), followed by a slow adjustment of pH to neutral pH to induce the re-assembly of EYPNs, which entrapped Cur to form stable EYPNs-Cur composite nanoparticles via hydrophobic interactions. Compared to free Cur, the solubility of encapsulated Cur increased largely, and even under light conditions, the encapsulated Cur remained stable almost without degradation for one month. In simulated gastrointestinal fluids, the bioaccessibility of Cur encapsulated in the composite nanoparticles was almost twice than that of free Cur. These results suggest that EYPNs can serve as stable nanocarriers for hydrophobic active compounds and improve their bioaccessibility.

The perception of fat-related sensory attributes in food emulsions during oral processing mainly depends on the complex interactions between the emulsion droplets and the oral soft surface as well as saliva. A range of surface behaviors including adhesion, wetting, and spreading of emulsion droplets on the tongue surface influence the frictional and lubricative properties of emulsions. In this study, the effect of oil droplet size, applied normal load, and saliva addition on the tribological properties of an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion prepared using microfluidized pea protein isolate (PPI) as an emulsifier. The results showed that with increasing applied normal load (0.5-2.0 N), the friction coefficient of the emulsion decreased obviously. With the decrease in droplet size, the number of droplets available for entrainment increased, resulting in a decrease in friction coefficient (10%-30%) and a decrease in boundary regime range of 15%-20% and thus enabling lubrication at lower entrainment speeds. During simulated oral processing, addition of saliva induced the flocculation of droplets, increasing droplet size, preventing droplets from being entrained into the oral surface, and ultimately resulting in a higher friction coefficient for the emulsion. This study can provide technical support for regulating the oral texture sensory properties of pea protein-based emulsion and the development of plant-based products.