Encapsulation of ?-tocopherol in whey protein isolate/chitosan particles using oil-in-water emulsion with optimal stability and bioaccessibility

The aim of this study was to develop an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion using whey protein isolate (WPI)-chitosan (CN) complex encapsulate ?-tocopherol and characterize their stability bioaccessibility in vitro. O/W emulsions prepared under the optimal conditions (mass ratio WPI:CN = 1: 1, corn oil containing 5 g/100 g ?-tocopherol) exhibited a monomodal distribution (d 803.3 ± 6.9 nm) with encapsulation rate 86.3 2.3%. were stable NaCl (0–150 mmol/L), sugar (0–5 g), 55 °C for 30 min, pH 5–6.5, even storage 20 d at 4 25 °C. During gastric digestion, WPI situated surface particles can be digested into small molecular peptides by pepsin, but structure core-shell remained due cross-linking CN. intestinal disintegrated over digestion time, inner-oil phase released. Release profiles free fatty acids showed burst effect followed slow release. These results suggest that WPI-CN could used achieve controlled sustainable release liposoluble bioactive compounds from emulsions.