Processing‐Driven Changes in Potato Protein‐Stabilized Emulsions and Their Digestibility: The Role of High‐Pressure Homogenization and Thermal Treatment

This study investigates the digestibility of emulsions stabilized with potato protein isolate, focusing on how different processing conditions affect their microstructure and digestion behavior. Emulsions were prepared with a shear mixer or with high‐pressure homogenization to determine the effect of surface area on digestion. Furthermore, the effect of heating was also measured using a static in vitro digestion model (INFOGEST 2.0). Structural analysis by confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed that heating and homogenization led to droplet aggregation and gel‐like structures. SDS‐PAGE revealed differences in protein digestion, particularly at the gastric stage, where heated samples showed increased aggregation, while unheated emulsions retained distinct bands between 12 and 15 kDa. Despite these variations, intestinal digestion resulted in extensive hydrolysis across all treatments, leaving only low‐molecular‐weight fragments. Free amino group release increased significantly from gastric to intestinal digestion (230 mmol/L), with no notable differences between emulsions at the final stage. Lipid digestion followed a similar trend, with high‐pressure homogenized emulsions exhibiting higher gastric lipolysis due to smaller droplet sizes. However, in thermally treated emulsions, extensive flocculation appeared to reduce intestinal lipolysis, likely due to limited bile salt and lipase accessibility. These findings highlight how emulsion structuring influences protein and lipid digestion, with potential implications for food design and nutrient bioavailability.