Emulsion gels stabilized by cyclodextrin inclusion/chitosan complexes with varying OSA substitution degree for co-encapsulation of bioactive compounds

Co-encapsulation of bioactive compounds using interfacial β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) cavities and the internal oil phase of emulsion gels presents a promising approach. This study prepared octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)-modified cyclodextrin-resveratrol (OCD-R) inclusion complexes with varying substitution degrees (DS) and combined them with chitosan (CS) to form OCD-R/CS complexes via electrostatic interactions. Results confirmed the successful encapsulation of resveratrol (RES) within the hydrophobic cavity of cyclodextrin. Increasing DS led to reduced ζ potential and fluctuating interfacial tension. All composite emulsion gels exhibited non-flowing properties and comparable oil droplet sizes. Notably, OCD1-R/CS emulsion gels were suitable for stabilizing β-carotene (CAT)-containing oil droplets with solid-like structure and demonstrated excellent 3D printability. The interfacial encapsulation of RES improved the retention ratio of CAT in the oil phase, contributing to increased bioaccessibility for RES (57.89 %) and CAT (44.29 %). These results may provide an alternative for developing co-encapsulating carriers for bioactive compounds with different solubilities.