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BACKGROUND: Interface modification driven by supramolecular self‐assembly has been accepted as a valuable strategy for emulsion stabilization enhancement. However, there has been a dearth of comparative research on the effect of simple complexation and assembly from the perspective of the responsible mechanism. RESULTS: The present study selected zein and tannic acid (TA) as representative protein and polyphenol modules for self‐assembly (coined as TA‐modified zein particle and TA‐zein complex particle) to explore the surface properties and interfacial behavior, as well as the stability of constructed Pickering emulsions to obtain the regulation law of different modification methods on the interfacial behavior of colloidal particles. The results demonstrated that TA‐modified zein colloidal particles potentially improved the emulsifying properties. When the TA concentration was 3 mmol L−1, the optimized TA‐modified zein particle was nano‐sized (109.83 nm) and had advantageous interfacial properties, including sharply reduced surface hydrophobicity, as well as a low diffusion rate at the oil/water interface. As a result, the shelf life of Pickering emulsion containing 50% oil phase was extended to 90 days. CONCLUSION: Through multi‐angled research on the properties of the interfacial membrane, improvement of emulsion stability was a result of the formation of viscoelastic interfacial film that resulted from the decrease of absorption rate between particles and interface. Using refined regulation to investigate the role of different sample preparation methods from a mechanistic perspective. Overall, the present study has provided a reference for TA to regulate the surface properties and interface behavior of zein colloidal particles, enriched the understanding of colloidal interface assembly, and provided a theoretical basis for the quality control of interface‐oriented food systems. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pickering emulsions, stabilized by food-grade protein colloidal particles, have demonstrated potential in food, cosmetics, and medical applications, while their environmental instability remains serious challenges. Herein, in this study, we have prepared a simple but effective interfacial decoration method based on the noncovalent interaction between desalted duck egg white nanogels (DEWN) and natural polyphenol for enhancing the interfacial and environmental stability of Pickering emulsions. As demonstrated, the introduction of tannic acid (TA) tuned near neutral wettability (θ o/w ∼90°) of the DEWN-TA (named DEWN-Tn) colloidal particles and significantly lowered the interfacial tension. Subsequently, the emulsions with distinct TA concentrations were further investigated. The results presented a decrement in the droplet sizes by adding appropriate concentrations of TA and long-term storage stability. The rheological behavior explored that the addition of TA did increase in both G′ and G″ compared with a solely DEWN-based system. Furthermore, it was worth noting that the decoration of TA under optimized conditions could also increase heat and pH stability and effectively inhibit "salting-out" effects of the Pickering emulsions system. Our study implies a possibility of fabricating interfacial architecture on the oil-water interface, which possesses great potential to be used as excellent food-grade emulsifiers. [Display omitted] • A simple interfacial decoration method between desalted duck egg white nanogels (DEWN) and tannic acid (TA) was used. • TA could tune near neutral wettability (θ o/w ∼90°) and lower the interfacial tension of DEWN colloidal particles. • TA decoration on DEWN enhanced the long-term stability of Pickering emulsions. • This Pickering emulsions system achieved the high environmental stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inadequate utilization of salted duck egg white has become a serious problem for the food manufacturing in the past few years. Hence, in this study, we attempted to fabricate a kind of Pickering emulsion system based on the duck egg white nanogels (DEWN), with Ca2+ as the potential stabilizer, aiming to find out a more effective way to reuse these salted duck egg white products. As demonstrated, when cross-linked by Ca2+, the fabricated DEWN and Ca2+ combined particles (abbreviated as DEWN-Ca) showed a downtrend in surface wettability with increase in Ca2+ concentrations. Subsequently, the corresponding emulsion formulations with distinct Ca2+ concentrations or oil phase contents were further investigated and the results showed a decrement in the droplet sizes by adding Ca2+ firstly (Ca1), while the increment was exhibited with continuously added Ca2+ (from Ca2 to Ca5). The interfacial and rheological properties were further explored as well. Briefly, in comparison of DEWN-based system, the addition of Ca2+ did reduce both the interfacial tension and the values of G' and G". Moreover, it is noteworthy that the addition of Ca2+ could also increase the freeze-thaw and heat stability of the obtained emulsion systems. Collectively, our findings not only unlocked an effective method to achieve the re-utilization and expand the application of salted duck egg white, but also highlighted a universal way in exploiting and applying the Pickering emulsion systems. [Display omitted] • Salted duck egg white nanogels with Ca2+ are binding agents in prepared emulsions. • The obtained emulsions owned heat-resistant and freeze-thaw stable properties. • Our finding found an effective way to reuse the egg duck white. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]