Zein/ferulic acid/sodium alginate ternary nanoparticles: characterization and application in stable Pickering emulsions.

In this study, zein/ferulic acid nanoparticles (ZFs) and zein/ferulic acid/sodium alginate nanoparticles (ZFSs) were prepared using the anti-solvent method and employed to stabilize Pickering emulsions. Compared with ZFs, ZFSs exhibited better performance. Specifically, although the particle size increased from 186.4 nm to 202.9 nm, the polydispersity index decreased from 0.27 to 0.19. The zeta potential shifted from +30.88 mV to -46.01 mV, and the denaturation peak temperature increased from 101.0 °C to 135.0 °C. Furthermore, FTIR analysis suggested the presence of hydrogen bonds, electrostatic forces, and hydrophobic interactions in ZFSs. Rheological tests showed that ZFSs-stabilized Pickering emulsions exhibited enhanced shear-thinning behavior and a higher elastic modulus than those stabilized by ZFs. Storage experiments confirmed that the particle size of the ZFSs-stabilized Pickering emulsion only increased to 14.8 μm after 30 days, and the zeta potential remained stable at -46.1 mV.