Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent-based multiple emulsion gels: Oxidative stability and protective potential for encapsulated bioactive compounds

Multiple emulsion gels have been reported to exhibit protective effects on hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances simultaneously. Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents (HDES) have been used as an organic phase to replace the conventional oil in multiple emulsion gels for oxidation inhibition. In this study, we prepared HDES based on menthol and dodecanoic acid, and then assembled a water/HDES emulsion (W/E) with the addition of Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) at a pH below 12. Subsequently, the microgel particles containing β-glucan and 1,3-α/β-D-glucan were mixed with the prepared W/E to construct a water/HDES/water emulsion gel (W/E/W) that was confirmed by the laser confocal microscopic analysis. The stability and rheological analyses revealed that optimal formulation for this W/E/W was 1.5% 1,3-α/β-D-glucan concentrations, with the internal W/E phase volume below 40% and gel particle content above 30%. Moreover, benefiting from the strong solubilization of HDES within the W/E/W, this system acts as an excellent loading carrier. To characterize its encapsulation performance, curcumin and anthocyanins were exogenously added as model bioactive compounds. The two loaded ingredients retained high stability after 60 h of accelerated oxidation treatment. Meanwhile, the multilayer structure exhibited superior controlled release (less than 30% in the stomach) in vitro digestion simulation compared to conventional single emulsion gels. Our study provides a strategic basis for the development of a functional substance loading system, multiple emulsion gels for stability and HDES for fat substitutes, facilitating the integration of functional components in innovative food design.

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