Development of pea protein nanofibrils-derived hydrogel mediated with EGCG for curcumin vehiculation: Characteristics, stability, and antimicrobial activity.

In this study, PPN-Cur/EGCG hydrogels were fabricated through EGCG-induced PPN gelation for Cur encapsulation. WHC of PPN-Cur/EGCG and PPN/EGCG hydrogels was both higher than 80 %. At [E]/[P] = 0.15, PPN-Cur/EGCG hydrogel exhibited the highest EE (76.70 %), and LA (15.30 μg/mg). Interaction forces assay illustrated hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and ionic bonding dominated the formation of PPN-Cur/EGCG hydrogel. SEM revealed wrinkled porous architectures of PPN-Cur/EGCG hydrogel. Optimal [E]/[P] ratio (0.15, w/w) yielded dense homogeneous networks, whereas excessive EGCG caused surface coarsening and hyper-crosslinking. PPN-Cur/EGCG hydrogels at [E]/[P] (0.15, w/w) exhibited the highest UV stability (78.71 %) after 180 min UV light exposure. PPN-Cur/EGCG hydrogel possessed exceptional antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. Compared to Cur (free), the bioaccessibility of Cur (30 %) was increased by almost 3-fold. The information found here provides valuable insights into the forming mechanisms PPN-Cur/EGCG hydrogels mediated by EGCG, and broadens the potential applications in food systems of PPNs.