Fe3+-EGCG metal-phenolic networks modified soy protein isolate nanoparticles for colloidally stable Pickering emulsions with colon-targeted curcumin release

Soy protein isolate (SPI) has shown promise as an emulsifier and carrier for bioactive compounds in food applications, but its instability at the oil-water interface under environmental changes remains a significant limitation. Current strategies to enhance SPI stability including complexation with polysaccharides or polyphenols and controlled hydrolysis have improved functional performance, but emerging approaches such as metal–phenolic networks (MPNs) offer promising new avenues for further increasing emulsion stability. This study investigated the self-assembly mechanism of Fe 3+ -EGCG networks on SPI nanoparticles and evaluated their stability under varying temperatures and ionic strengths. Among the…

• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province

  Award: 2025AFB221
• WP
  Wuhan Polytechnic University

  Award: 2025Y39
• HP
  Hebei Provincial Key Research Projects

  Awards: 2025BBB061, 2024BBB030