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Article

Vitamin A Emulsion Encapsulated with Whey Protein Isolate–Soybean Lecithin Enhances Surimi Gel Structure and Protein Conformation

National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Storage, Processing and Safety Control Technology for Fresh Agricultural and Aquatic Products, National R&D Branch Center of Surimi and Surimi Products Processing, College of Food Science and Engineering, Bohai University, Jinzhou 121013, China
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2025, 14(20), 3582; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203582
Submission received: 18 September 2025 / Revised: 9 October 2025 / Accepted: 19 October 2025 / Published: 21 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Aquatic Product Processing and Quality Control)

Abstract

In this study, whey protein isolate–soybean lecithin-encapsulated vitamin A emulsion (VA-WSE) with different oil-to-water ratios was prepared and characterized. The impact of VA-WSE on the physicochemical characteristics of Nemipterus virgatus surimi at varying concentrations was determined. The VA-WSE emulsion exhibited the best stability when the oil-to-water (O:W) ratio was 1:1 (w/w). Composite gels prepared by mixing VA-WSE (O:W = 1:1, w/w) with surimi at different ratios showed significantly improved gel properties. In particular, the hardness, chewiness, gel strength, and water-holding capacity of the composite gel with a VA-WSE concentration of 8% (w/w) reached the highest values of 2629.00 g, 2051.27 g, 292.16 g·cm, and 87.10%, respectively. Similarly, the observed voids in the microstructural images gradually decreased with rising VA-WSE concentration and were the smallest in the 8% sample group. Surimi gels showed remarkably enhanced hydrogen bonds in the VA-WSE concentration range of 0–8%, increasing from 0.001 to 0.025 mg/mL (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it was observed that the energy storage modulus (G′) was larger than the loss modulus (G″), suggesting the dominant elastic characteristics of the composite gels. The solubility and total sulfhydryl group contents significantly increased from 30.33 to 88.29% and from 4.90 to 28.19 nmol/mg, respectively. In summary, VA-WSE can promote the unfolding of the myofibrillar protein (MP) structure and improve the gel properties of surimi gels. These results support the development of functional surimi products.
Keywords: vitamin A; emulsion; gel properties; protein conformation; myofibrillar protein vitamin A; emulsion; gel properties; protein conformation; myofibrillar protein

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MDPI and ACS Style

Chen, M.; Huang, X.; Lin, Y.; Yi, S. Vitamin A Emulsion Encapsulated with Whey Protein Isolate–Soybean Lecithin Enhances Surimi Gel Structure and Protein Conformation. Foods 2025, 14, 3582. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203582

AMA Style

Chen M, Huang X, Lin Y, Yi S. Vitamin A Emulsion Encapsulated with Whey Protein Isolate–Soybean Lecithin Enhances Surimi Gel Structure and Protein Conformation. Foods. 2025; 14(20):3582. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203582

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chen, Mulin, Xiaohan Huang, Yawen Lin, and Shumin Yi. 2025. "Vitamin A Emulsion Encapsulated with Whey Protein Isolate–Soybean Lecithin Enhances Surimi Gel Structure and Protein Conformation" Foods 14, no. 20: 3582. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203582

APA Style

Chen, M., Huang, X., Lin, Y., & Yi, S. (2025). Vitamin A Emulsion Encapsulated with Whey Protein Isolate–Soybean Lecithin Enhances Surimi Gel Structure and Protein Conformation. Foods, 14(20), 3582. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203582

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