Composite hydrogels from whey protein isolate and polysaccharides are promising for encapsulating bioactive compounds like curcumin. This study extracted arabinoxylan from sesame industry waste to create a stable hydrogel system using minimal protein (13%w/v) and polysaccharides (0.65%w/v). The hydrogels displayed significant elasticity and stiffness, confirmed by TPA and dynamic oscillatory tests. The water holding capacity of >99 % and syneresis of <0.7 % demonstrated the efficiency of the composite hydrogel system. Zeta potential values demonstrated the hydrogel's stability and high conductivity in aqueous environments. The XRD and SEM results showed that curcumin was effectively encapsulated within the hydrogel matrix. FTIR analysis revealed that hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions between curcumin and protein were fundamental mechanisms for the encapsulation. The thermal stability analysis showed that each component of the composite hydrogel had high thermal resistance individually, and together, they exhibited a positive synergistic effect. Antioxidant activity analyzed by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP methods increased even after thermal processing of composite hydrogel samples. Release tests in simulated stomach and intestinal conditions demonstrated that the hydrogel system resisted stomach conditions and provided controlled curcumin release in the intestine. Extracted arabinoxylan can be used as a functional material to manufacture whey protein-based composite hydrogels for curcumin encapsulation.

Background:Due to the use of high-calorie foods and reduced physical activity caused by the modern lifestyle, obesity is on the rise. Obesity occurs by the increase of fat accumulation in the body, causing different complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory disorders, blood pressure, etc., which has become a global problem. Objectives:The production of functional food that has medicinal properties for controlling or inhibiting diseases is increasingly popular. With the expanding concerns about obesity and its related diseases, it is very important to provide natural controlling or inhibiting compounds. In this study, the functional properties of black seed cake (BSC) and its protein (BSCP) were investigated for obesity control through the inhibition of pancreatic lipase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase enzymes as well as its antioxidant properties. Methods:The textural properties and sensory evaluation of muffins, enzyme inhibition properties (inhibiting the effect of enzymes in the obesity process), and antioxidant properties (control or inhibition of side effects caused by body fat oxidation) of BSC and BSCP were investigated. Results:The highest and lowest inhibitory levels of pancreatic lipase are related to black seed (Nigella sativa)cake protein (BSCP) (59.21%) and black seed cake (BSC) (32.90%), respectively. The highest and lowest levels of α-amylase inhibition are related to BSCP (32.51%) and black seed cake in ethanol 75% (BSC-E75%) (3.62%), respectively. The highest and lowest α-glucosidase inhibitory levels are related to BSC-E30% (71%) and BSCP (10.10%), respectively. BSC and BSCP showed high antioxidant activity. The use of BSC and BSCP in the production of muffins (a widely consumed and popular product) to replace flour and oil in the formulation of muffins caused a decrease in L*, b*, but an increase in a*. Hardness, chewiness, springiness, and cohesiveness decreased with the increase of BSC and BSCP content. Samples BSM 3%, BSM 6%, PBM 1%, and PBM 2% were similar to control muffins in sensory evaluation. Conclusions :From the result of this study, it can be concluded that black seed cake and its protein can be considered a potential efficient source for the production of functional muffins and possibly other functional foods that aim to manage and control obesity, blood glucose, and blood fat. However, more research is needed to fully determine the effectiveness of black seed cake and its protein. Keywords: Obesity, Black seed cake, Muffins, Diabetes, Blood pressure, Blood fat