The incorporation of lipid droplets and further characterization of matrices within dairy products may be possible using such adjacent particles as protein complexes/lipids. Among the range of varied emulsions and their functionalities, great attention has recently focused on the fabrication of high internal phase types. Feasibly, stable alternatives structured with health-beneficial lipids like those derived from plants could replace saturated fatty acids. As a fat replacement strategy, the fate of incorporated HIPE would require some adjustments either with storage stability and/or structural feat for the food matrix. Therefore, the replacement of milk fat by rapeseed oil stabilised emulsion in commercial yogurt was investigated. This involved 25%, 50% and 75% rapeseed oil respectively assigned as low (LIPE), medium (MIPE), and high internal phase emulsion (HIPE). Specifically, emulsions were examined by droplet size, encapsulation, pH, zeta potential, phase separation, and rheology. The fat free yogurt supplemented by HIPE were examined by droplet size, zeta potential, pH, color, sensory, texture and microbiological aspects against positive (regular milk fat) and negative (fat free) yogurt controls. Results showed increasing rapeseed oil contents would form smaller droplet-like emulsions. Within the yogurt matrix however, incorporating HIPE would seemingly reduce oil droplet size without much compromise to bacterial viability, sensory, or texture. Overall, this simple method of lipid alternation shows promise in dairy products.

Composites based on polylactide (PLA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were prepared using a thermally induced phase separation method. In the experimental design, the PLA with low weight-average molar mass (M_w) and high M_w were tested with the inclusion of HA synthesized as whiskers or hexagonal rods. In addition, the structure of HA whiskers was doped with Zn, whereas hexagonal rods were mixed with Sr salt. The composites were sterilized and then incubated in phosphate-buffered saline for 12 weeks at 37 °C, followed by characterization of pore size distribution, molecular properties, density and mechanical strength. Results showed a substantial reduction of PLA M_w for both polymers due to the preparation of composites, their sterilization and incubation. The distribution of pore size effectively increased after the degradation process, whereas the sterilization, furthermore, had an impact on pore size distribution depending on HA added. The inclusion of HA reduced to some extent the degradation of PLA quantitatively in the weight loss in vitro compared to the control without HA. All produced materials showed no cytotoxicity when validated against L929 mouse skin fibroblasts and hFOB 1.19 human osteoblasts. The lack of cytotoxicity was accompanied by the immunocompatibility with human monocytic cells that were able to detect pyrogenic contaminants.

Background: Arabinoxylan (AX) concentrates from wheat can be produced from co-products from the starch and gluten industries. These fractions are rich in AX, have high solubility, can be incorporated into bread and breakfast cereals, and have the potential to enhance functional and nutritional effects beyond what is possible with cereal species. Methods: The aim of this review is to summarize the available literature on AX concentrates from wheat in terms of production, incorporation in breads, and influence on glucose homeostasis in human subjects and animals. Results: Breads enriched in AX fiber have been found to increase the viscosity of digesta from the small intestine but with no effect on the digestibility of starch. In the large intestine, AX is, to a large extent, degraded, producing short-chain fatty acids. Across acute human and animal studies, the intake of AX concentrates has been shown to reduce the rate and extent of glucose absorption and insulin responses in a dose-dependent fashion. No general influence of AX on incretins has been identified, and the role of AX-enriched diets in appetite sensation is unclear. Medium- and long-term human and animal intervention studies demonstrated improved glucose homeostasis (fructosamine and glycated hemoglobin A1c) during the consumption of AX-enriched diets compared to placebo. Although AX concentrates across studies improved glucose homeostasis, a confounding factor to be further investigated is to what extent protein being present in relatively high concentrations in some of the produced AX-rich wheat fractions, partly or fully, is responsible for the observed homeostatic effects.

This study investigated the mechanistic effects of β-glucan and cellulose on the microstructure, rheological properties, and digestion behaviour of oil-in-water emulsions stabilised by whey protein (WPC) or rapeseed protein (RP). The WPC emulsions exhibited a monodisperse droplet distribution (D₉₀ = 2.8 μm), whereas RP emulsions displayed a bimodal distribution with substantially larger droplets (D₉₀ = 58.1 μm). Rheological analysis showed strong gel behaviour for cellulose-stabilised emulsions (G' > G", yield stress 42-63 Pa), whereas β-glucan systems exhibited a limited structural reinforcement, resulting in no viscoelasticity in WPC emulsions and only weak viscoelasticity in RP emulsions (G' ≈ 20 Pa). In vitro digestion visualised lipids in fibre-enriched emulsions, attributed to depletion and bridging flocculation with decreased interfacial surface area. These findings demonstrate that the fibre-protein interactions strongly influence the structure and gastrointestinal behaviour of emulsions.