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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Small Grain and Food Crops Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415203
Research Project: Identification and Characterization of Quality Parameters for Enhancement of Marketability of Hard Spring Wheat, Durum, and Oat

Location: Small Grain and Food Crops Quality Research

Title: Novel high internal phase emulsion gels stabilized solely by hemp protein isolate: Enhancement of cannabidiol chemical stability and bioaccessibility

Author
item CHARLES, ANTO RAJA - North Dakota State University
item FANG, BAOCHEN - North Dakota State University
item Ohm, Jae-Bom
item CHEN, BINGCAN - North Dakota State University
item RAO, JIAJIA - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2024
Publication Date: 9/6/2024
Citation: Charles, A., Fang, B., Ohm, J., Chen, B., Rao, J. 2024. Novel high internal phase emulsion gels stabilized solely by hemp protein isolate: Enhancement of cannabidiol chemical stability and bioaccessibility. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 279(3). Article 13595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135395.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135395

Interpretive Summary: High internal phase emulsion gels are desirable for encapsulating and protecting bioactive compounds across a wide range of applications, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and biomedical uses. This research developed high internal phase emulsion gels using modified hemp protein isolate. The results showed that the emulsion gel could serve as an efficient delivery vehicle, increasing the absorption of bioactive compounds such as cannabidiol in the digestive system.

Technical Abstract: This study aims to fabricate high internal phase emulsion gels (HIPEGs) using pH shift and ultrasound treated hemp protein isolates for microencapsulating cannabidiol (CBD) to enhance their chemical stability and bioaccessibility. Importantly, the combined effect of CBD concentrations (0.1 vs 0.5 wt%) and post gel storage conditions (before-refrigeration (BR) vs after-refrigeration (AR)) on the rheology, microstructure, and physical stability of HIPEGs were investigated. Furthermore, the chemical stability and bioaccessibility of CBD in HIPEGs were assessed. The results showed that the CBD concentration above 0.4% is necessary to fabricate a stable HIPEG. The rheological properties of HIPEGs were influenced by CBD concentration and refrigeration, and the after-refrigeration gels (AR gels) with 0.5% CBD showed the highest gel strength and solid-like structures. These properties allowed the AR gels with 0.5% CBD to maintain good physical stability during storage at 4, 25, and 37 ' for 14 days due to the interconnected polyhedral protein matrices surrounding the oil droplets and thick interfacial protein layers. These advanced protein architectures offered superior protection against CBD degradation for 100 days during exposure to light and temperature (25 or 37 '). The INFOGEST digestion results showed the controlled release of free fatty acids (FFA) from the HIPEGs and revealed the highest FFA release of 108% from before-refrigeration gels (BR gels) with 0.5% CBD. Furthermore, these BR gels effectively protected CBD during digestion and consequently improved their bioaccessibility up to 74%. Overall, the fabricated HIPEGs could be valuable for nutraceutical delivery and commercial food applications.