LWT - Food Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Effect of acidity on flavor perception and retronasal aroma release intensity of Gewürztraminer wine paired with boiled chicken","authors":"Xue Gong,&nbsp;Tianlong Chen,&nbsp;Feng Zhao,&nbsp;Xinglian Xu,&nbsp;Xue Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated sensory perception and in vivo retronasal aroma release of Gewürztraminer wine subjected to three pH-adjustment treatments (pH 2.8, pH 3.3, and pH 3.8) during co-consumption with boiled chicken. Sensory evaluations and proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS) were used to characterize static and temporal sensory responses and retronasal aroma-release patterns. The pH 2.8 treatment exhibited significantly higher intensities of floral (23.16%-40.88%), citrus (24.27%-45.77%), stone (28.04%-40.35%) and tropical (24.28%-42.42%) fruit aromas than the pH 3.3 and pH 3.8 treatments (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), but its perceived wine body was 39.22% lower than that of the pH 3.8 treatment (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Dynamic sensory tests indicated that the pH 3.3 treatment generally showed earlier and higher pre-swallowing maxima for the principal floral and fruity attributes and received the highest overall liking score, whereas the pH 2.8 treatment showed greater cumulative aroma perception and stronger post-swallowing persistence. PTR-TOF-MS analysis further showed that overall retronasal ion-release intensity was highest in the pH 2.8 treatment. Eight ions associated with flavor differences among the pH-adjusted treatments, particularly those involving the pH 2.8 treatment, were tentatively assigned to nine candidate volatile compounds, including decanoic acid, ethyl octanoate, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, 2,3-butanediol, citronellol, ethyl 2-hydroxypropionate, ethyl hexadecanoate, 2-phenylethyl acetate, and benzyl alcohol. Candidate chicken-associated volatile compounds may contribute to floral and fruity perception and enhance overall aroma complexity. This work provides insight into flavor responses associated with acidity adjustment during wine-food co-consumption and offers a theoretical basis for evidence-based wine-food pairing and white-wine flavor optimization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120012"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of purple sweet potato enzymatic hydrolysate on the physicochemical properties and sensory quality of kombucha beverages","authors":"Yingjia Tong,&nbsp;Kexin Qi,&nbsp;Linyuan Zhou,&nbsp;Weiming Liu,&nbsp;Ying Zhang,&nbsp;Qunyi Tong","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Kombucha is a beverage traditionally made from sweetened black tea fermented by the Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeasts (SCOBY). This study incorporated purple sweet potato enzymatic hydrolysate (PSPEH) into black tea kombucha as a partial sucrose substitute to evaluate its effects on fermentation characteristics and product quality. PSPEH supplementation promoted acid production, increased total acidity and acetic acid levels, and reduced the final pH to 2.8-3.0. Total phenolic content increased progressively with supplementation level, peaking at 338.4 mg GAE/L, concomitant with significantly enhanced DPPH and ABTS + scavenging capacities. Volatile flavor profiling revealed substantial flavor restructuring. Total esters surged approximately 5.5-fold (to 5.45%), terpene alcohols including linalool and α-terpineol accumulated markedly, whereas total aldehydes declined by 29.8%. Chromatic analysis confirmed a dramatic red-purple shift (ΔE*&gt;45) attributable to acylated anthocyanins. Sensory evaluation identified the KB40 formulation as optimal, achieving the highest overall acceptability score (8.8/10). PSPEH improved the antioxidant capacity, flavor, color, and sensory properties of kombucha. This approach offers a viable route to anthocyanin-enriched fermented beverages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120014"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailoring nano-scale reverse micelles in animal fats for enhanced thermal oxidation resistance: A green in situ extraction of rosemary antioxidants","authors":"Huihui Zhang,&nbsp;Bingyu Zheng,&nbsp;Yong Wang,&nbsp;Ying Li","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animal fats exhibit greater susceptibility to thermal degradation than vegetable oils, partly attributable to their lower content of endogenous minor components (e.g., natural antioxidants), which restricts their application in high-temperature food processing. This study pioneers a solvent-free strategy to stabilize animal fats (lard, beef tallow, chicken oil, and basa fish oil) via direct enrichment with rosemary antioxidants through in-situ reverse micelle-assisted extraction (IRMAE). To maximize polar polyphenol incorporation, food-grade emulsifiers were employed to tune the interfacial assembly of antioxidant-loaded reverse micelles. Among tested matrices, lard exhibited the highest extraction affinity, yielding rosmarinic acid (RA) and carnosic acid (CA) at 8.16% and 52.88%, respectively. Incorporation of lecithin further optimized the system, increasing RA concentration to 42.84 μg/g, a 5.22-fold enhancement over raw oil. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) revealed the presence of spherical nanostructures (radius ∼2 nm) consistent with reverse micelles, where the lecithin-based interfacial film is proposed to provide a robust micro-aqueous environment for sequestering polar antioxidants. Frying tests demonstrated that these nanostructure assemblies significantly inhibited increases in acid value (AV), total oxidation (TOTOX), and conjugated diene/triene (CD/CT) levels. This work proposes a clean-label approach for the long-term stabilization of traditional animal fats, integrating green extraction with advanced lipid protection strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120010"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel low-molecular-weight pectin from sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) pulp improves the quality of yogurt: a comparative study with fructooligosaccharide","authors":"Xiaoping Yang,&nbsp;Jing Fan,&nbsp;Chuanhui Fan,&nbsp;Jingguo Zhang,&nbsp;Wei Du,&nbsp;Xin Mei,&nbsp;Jianbin Shi,&nbsp;Hongmei Shi,&nbsp;Hongju Hu,&nbsp;Wei Liu,&nbsp;Qiliang Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, low-molecular-weight pectin (LMW-pectin) was extracted from sand pear pulp, and its effect on the quality of yogurt was studied compared to the commercial fructooligosaccharide (FOS). The structural properties of LMW-pectin were relative molecular weight: 7733 ± 4 g/mol, galacturonic acid content: 732 ± 9 g/kg, and degree of esterification: 71 ± 2%. Compared with the control, LMW-pectin at 7.0 g/kg slightly increased the water-holding capacity (from 45.71% to 46.53%) and significantly reduced the total acid content (from 6.42 g/kg to 5.24 g/kg) and hardness (from 114.27 N to 76.73 N). LMW-pectin also reduced the gel strength of yogurt slightly. It also could modulate the tastes (particularly bitterness and astringency) and aromas via increasing the concentrations of specific esters, making the yogurt demonstrate cheesy, fragrant odors. LMW-pectin increased the relative abundance of Bacillus from 0.91% to 6.78%. LMW-pectin increased the concentrations of medium-chain fatty acids, odd-chain fatty acids, and unsaturated fatty acids. LMW-pectin also increased the scores of taste and odor in yogurt significantly. In contrast, FOS only affected gel strength, electronic tongue values, and the concentrations of volatile compounds. LMW-pectin can serve as a functional additive for improving the texture, flavor, and nutritional quality of yogurt, providing a practical strategy for utilization in the dairy industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120009"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Candidate stage-specific spoilage markers revealed by integrated multi-omics analysis of marinated pork during refrigerated storage","authors":"Qi Li,&nbsp;Hongzhou Chen,&nbsp;Peng Wu,&nbsp;Baocai Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stage-specific spoilage markers in marinated ready-to-cook pork remain poorly characterized. This study combined traditional physicochemical and microbiological indices with untargeted metabolomic and volatile compound profiling to track spoilage progression during 15 days of refrigerated storage at 4 ± 1 °C. Data from each platform were processed using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares–discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), variable importance in projection (VIP) scoring, and integrated, time-ordered PCA-DA (iPCA-DA) to resolve sequential changes along the storage timeline. Correlation analysis and hierarchical clustering were used to map relationships among key variables. Among the candidate markers, methionine sulfoxide (r = 0.95) and heptanoic acid (r = 0.92) tracked storage time most closely, whereas dimethyl disulfide (VIP = 1.73) and caproaldehyde (VIP = 1.72) were the most discriminant volatiles for late-stage spoilage; carbon dioxide (r = 0.95) increased consistently across all storage phases. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed a shift from carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in the mid-stage to intensified lipid catabolism and sulfur metabolism in the late-stage. Integrated multi-omics analysis highlighted cross-platform candidate markers and correlated metabolite–volatile pairs associated with these pathway transitions. These putatively annotated compounds are proposed as potential stage indicators that require confirmation with authentic standards and validation in independent samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120001"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of isochlorogenic acid isomers and stepwise assembly with β-lactoglobulin and hyaluronic acid on constructing a non-covalent ternary carrier for curcumin delivery","authors":"Ling Li,&nbsp;Hongyan Xu,&nbsp;Qianqian Ding,&nbsp;Danli Wang,&nbsp;Tinglan Yuan,&nbsp;Gongshuai Song,&nbsp;Jinyan Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Curcumin (Cur) possesses diverse biological activities but has poor water solubility, low stability, and limited bioavailability, which restrict its application. This study aimed to construct a non-covalent ternary complex comprising β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg), isochlorogenic acid, and hyaluronic acid (HA) as an efficient delivery system for Cur. The three isomeric structures of isochlorogenic acid (ICA, ICB, or ICC) and their sequential assemblies (protein–polyphenol–polysaccharide vs. protein–polysaccharide–polyphenol) critically influenced the structural and functional properties of the complexes. The results demonstrated that the protein–polysaccharide–polyphenol assembly sequence, particularly with ICA, yielded superior polyphenol-binding capacity, antioxidant activity, and emulsifying properties. Structural analyses and molecular docking confirmed significant conformational changes in β-Lg and non-covalent interactions increase within the ternary complex. The selected β-Lg–HA–isochlorogenic acid complexes were subsequently used for Cur encapsulation, achieving a high encapsulation efficiency (maximum at 68.78% for β-Lg–HA–ICA–Cur), reduced particle size, and enhanced stability under thermal, centrifugal, freeze-thaw, and storage conditions. The release efficiency of the Cur delivery system was two times higher than free Cur during simulated intestinal digestion. Furthermore, the encapsulated Cur exhibited significantly improved antioxidant activity by over 1.5 times compared with that of free Cur. This study underscores the pivotal role of polyphenol isomeric structures and assembly sequences in the design of functional ternary complexes, providing a promising strategy for developing efficient Cur delivery systems for food applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120028"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of microbial communities and volatile profiles in traditional Korean soybean paste (Doenjang)","authors":"Hualin Nie,&nbsp;Kyumin Sim,&nbsp;Mina K. Kim,&nbsp;Soo Hwan Suh","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Doenjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste valued for its functional properties, has an impact of regional meju origin on its microbial and metabolic profiles that remains poorly defined. In this study, doenjang samples prepared from meju sourced across six administrative regions of South Korea-Gangwon (GW), Gyeonggi (GG), Gyeongbuk (GB), Gyeongnam (GN), Jeonbuk (JB), and Jeonnam (JN)-were systematically evaluated using high-throughput metagenomic next-generation sequencing (155,337–219,330 reads per sample; Shannon diversity curves reaching clear saturation beyond 150,000 reads), integrated with volatile metabolite profiling. Taxonomic analysis revealed a fundamental ecological bifurcation among regions: the GW, GN, and JN groups formed a streamlined bacterial community dominated by <em>Bacillus</em> (&gt;50% relative abundance), whereas the JB and GB groups exhibited markedly higher diversity enriched with lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with discriminant analysis further identifying region-specific biomarker taxa, including <em>Tetragenococcus</em> in JN, thermophilic <em>Saccharopolyspora</em> in GG, and <em>Pediococcus</em> in JB. Critically, integrating these bacterial profiles with volatile metabolite data uncovered precise mechanistic linkages between community composition and flavor chemistry: LAB abundance was strongly correlated with acetic acid and phenylethyl alcohol, driving sour and floral notes; <em>Bacillus</em> dominance was tied to dimethyl trisulfide, conferring savory aromas; and actinomycete abundance drove trimethylpyrazine synthesis, contributing nutty flavors. Collectively, these findings indicate that Korean doenjang harbors regionally distinctive microbial and volatile metabolite signatures, providing a precise genomic and biochemical foundation for the standardization and quality control of this functional food.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120026"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel mechanized cleaning system for Nymphoides hydrophylla: process optimization, postharvest quality, and shelf life evaluation under refrigerated storage","authors":"Somnath Kale,&nbsp;Wei-Chih Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.119966","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.119966","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Growing demand for sustainable foods has increased interest in underexplored aquatic vegetables such as <em>Nymphoides hydrophylla</em>, cultivated in Taiwan for its nutritional and economic value. Postharvest cleaning remains worker-intensive and inefficient, further challenged by an aging agricultural workforce. This study optimized a mechanized cleaning using RSM with D-optimal split-plot design. Cleaning efficiency was analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model fitted by maximum likelihood estimation, optimized by desirability, and postharvest quality evaluated using ANOVA. Cleaning solution concentration was treated as the hard-to-change, while conveyor speed and flow rate were subplot factors, achieved a maximum cleaning efficiency 94.1%. Postharvest quality and shelf life were evaluated over 9 day at 4 °C using physicochemical, pigment, sensory, and microbial analyses. Total aerobic bacterial counts increased to 6.50 at day 7 and 8.33 log₁₀ CFU g⁻¹ by day 9, while total coliforms appeared and <em>Escherichia coli</em> remained undetected. Microbial loads exceeded acceptable limits after day 7, coinciding with significant increases (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) in weight loss, along with significant decreases in pH, chlorophyll (46.55% reduction), carotenoid content, and overall sensory acceptability. Overall, mechanized cleaning improved sanitation efficiency, preserved quality, and established refrigerated shelf life of seven days, enhancing the commercial viability of <em>N. hydrophylla</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 119966"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the impact of controlled surface modification on esterification efficiency and structure-properties of sweet potato starch","authors":"Qian Lin,&nbsp;Qi Zhao,&nbsp;Zhuangzhuang Sun,&nbsp;Yanlin Wu,&nbsp;Jiaqi Liu,&nbsp;Xinyue Chang,&nbsp;Zhuohua Wang,&nbsp;Wenhao Li,&nbsp;Wenjie Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Native starch granule surface structure frequently restricts chemical-modification efficiency and final functional properties. In this work, sweet potato starch was pretreated via CaCl₂-mediated surface deshelling, followed by acetic anhydride esterification, to clarify how the granule outer-shell structure governs modification performance. CaCl₂ treatment triggered progressive layer-by-layer erosion starting from the granule surface, generating rough and porous starch particles. The results indicate that, regardless of whether dehulling was carried out, the overall particle morphology of the acetylated starch was relatively similar; however, dehulling significantly increased the degree of substitution of the acetylated starch, reduced its crystallinity, and disrupted its crystal structure. At similar substitution degrees, deshelled-acetylated starch possessed lower molecular weight of branched fractions and higher fractions of medium- and long-chain amylopectin relative to conventionally acetylated starch. Moreover, deshelling pretreatment decreased the pasting viscosity and gelatinization temperature of acetylated starch; its effect on resistant-starch content depended strongly on pretreatment intensity: mild deshelling elevated resistant-starch content, while prolonged treatment caused its decline. Improved solubility and paste transparency were also achieved for deshelled-acetylated samples. This work provides new understandings for developing controlled surface-erosion-assisted starch chemical modification and expands potential industrial utilization of modified starches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 120024"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149157202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Curcumin-Loaded Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by pH-Induced Chitosan Nanoparticles for Fat Replacement in Ice Cream","authors":"Bakht Ramin Shah,&nbsp;Yagen Alhaji,&nbsp;Harsh Jason Lal,&nbsp;Xu Wei,&nbsp;Diana Karina Baigts-Allende","doi":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lwt.2026.120101","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;pH tunable chitosan nanoparticles-based Pickering emulsion (PE) was fabricated.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Under optimized conditions, the PE showed good environmental stability.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Curcumin at a concentration (0.04 g/kg) was successfully encapsulated in the PE.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Curcumin-encapsulated PE served as an excellent fat replacer in ice cream.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;The PE addition improved ice cream's texture while effectively reducing calories.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Increased consumers’ health awareness has driven demand for dairy products with low-fats and extra health benefits. In the current study, Pickering emulsion (PE) stabilized by pH tunable chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) was fabricated for fat replacement in ice cream. The CS-NPs were synthesized by adjusting pH of the CS solution (pH &gt;6.5) and the PE was obtained by homogenizing the water phase (CS-NPs) and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) as oil phase. The results showed that PE prepared with an oil to water ratio 0.5:1 (CS = 1 g/L) demonstrated better performance under the influence of various factors e.g pH, storage time and salts. The optimized PE was used as a fat replacer at 200 g/kg, 400 g/kg, 600 g/kg and 1000 g/kg fat replacement rates to formulate functional ice cream with encapsulated curcumin (330 g/kg) to further improve their health value. In textural profile analysis of the ice creams, formulation with 400 g/kg fat replacement (containing curcumin at 0.04 g/kg) behaved similarly to the control one (0 g/kg fat replacement), except for cohesiveness which also decreased in this sample like others (200 g/kg, 600 g/kg and 1000 g/kg fat replacement). Rheological measurements revealed non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic, shear-thinning behavior in all the samples, with the 400 g/kg fat replacement sample displaying higher viscosity and storage and loss moduli than the others. A significant increase (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt;&lt;0.05) in brightness/lightness (L*) and a shift towards red and yellow shades (a* and b*) was observed in all samples with the increase in fat replacing rates. The zeta potential with values ≥ −40 mV for all samples showed no significant difference (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt;&lt;0.05) suggesting the stable nature of the ice cream droplets. Overall, these findings advocate the promising potential of PE produced by pH responsive CS-NPs for applications in formulating low-calorie functional foods enriched with encapsulated bioactive compounds.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Increased consumers’ health awareness has driven demand for dairy products with low-fats and extra health benefits. In the current study, Pickering emulsion (PE) stabilized by pH tunable chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) was fabricated for fat replacement in ice cream. The CS-NPs were synthesized by adjusting pH of the CS solution (pH &gt;6.5) and the PE was ob","PeriodicalId":382,"journal":{"name":"LWT - Food Science and Technology","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 120101"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149214306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}