Simulated in vitro digestion of Pickering emulsion containing pink pepper oil

• Grant number: 25/15088-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Jessica Thaís do Prado Silva
• Grantee: Laura de Souza Contato
• Supervisor: Isabel Hernando
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia (UPV), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/10745-8 - Evaluation of Pickering emulsions stabilized by pea protein microgels as encapsulation procedure for pink pepper oil, BP.IC

Abstract

Pink pepper essential oil is rich in bioactive compounds that are well-known by their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. In spite of that, the instability of such compounds, as well as the high volatility and low solubility of essential oils, compromise its application in foods. The encapsulation by emulsification is a convenient strategy to overcome this limitation and to promote the application of pink pepper essential oil into foodstuff. Namely, the use of Pickering emulsions to that end has been emerging in the last years due its high physical stability and the "clean label" character. Regardless the technique used, it is of utmost importance to understand how the encapsulated system will behave upon stress conditions. During digestion, the encapsulated system is submitted to harsh conditions, which may impart the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds. Thus, this research project aims to evaluate the behaviour of Pickering emulsions stabilized by pea protein microgels containing pink pepper essential oil upon simulated in vitro digestion. The emulsions will be subjected to an in vitro digestion protocol considering 3 stages: mouth, stomach, and intestine. The digested sample in each stage will be evaluated regarding to their morphological aspect using different microscopy techniques. The bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and the free fatty acids release will be determined at the intestinal phase, being indicatives of the emulsion's role in protect such valuable compounds during digestion.