WPI-SA-STE stabilized high-internal-phase emulsion filled κ-carrageenan/konjac glucomannan hydrogels: Structural properties and curcumin delivery.

Existing studies predominantly use single proteins or polysaccharides to stabilize high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs), while κ-carrageenan/konjac glucomannan (κ-KC/KGM) hydrogels often suffer from poor mechanical properties. This study addresses both limitations by fabricating HIPEs stabilized by a ternary complex of whey protein isolate‑sodium alginate-steviol glycosides and incorporating them into hydrogels. Hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions between HIPEs and κ-KC/KGM promoted a more uniform and dense gel network. After filling with HIPEs, the hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of the gel decreased, while the water holding capacity increased significantly. After UV irradiation, the curcumin (Cur) retention rate in the filling gel reached 94.63%, significantly higher than that in the HIPEs system. In vitro digestion experiments have shown that an appropriate amount of HIPEs (20%) filling can effectively improve the bioaccessibility of Cur. The resulting HIPEs filled gels exhibited excellent 3D printability. This study supporting the developing functional fat replacers and lipophilic bioactive delivery systems.