Recent Advances in Characterization Techniques for Lipid Digestibility and Bioaccessibility of Bio-Based Pickering Emulsion

Abstract

Lipophilic micronutrients with health-promoting effects are highly sought after globally. Encapsulation protects these lipophilic micronutrients from oxidative degradation and enables controlled delivery at the targeted absorption site. Pickering emulsion, a particle-stabilized emulsion, has garnered research interest due to its excellent stability and surfactant-free properties. This review provides an up-to-date overview of bio-based Pickering emulsions stabilized by protein-, polysaccharide-, and protein/polysaccharide-based Pickering emulsifiers in delivering lipophilic micronutrients. Firstly, recent developments of bio-based Pickering emulsions in delivering lipophilic micronutrients are presented. The delivery performances of bio-based Pickering emulsions in terms of lipid digestibility and bioaccessibility are highlighted. The pros and cons of the latest characterization techniques for determining the lipid digestion profile and bioaccessibility by using in vitro digestion models of bio-based Pickering emulsions are also presented where the multi-stage static digestion model has advantages such as its ease of operation and relatively cheaper cost over dynamic digestion models. Lastly, the research gaps and suggestions for future research are addressed.