Natural protein-polysaccharide-phenol complex particles from rice bran as novel food-grade Pickering emulsion stabilizers.

To develop novel food-grade Pickering emulsion stabilizers, insoluble rice bran protein-polysaccharide-phenol natural complex (IRBPPP) was prepared into Pickering emulsion stabilizers after different mechanical pretreatments (shear, high-pressure homogenization, ultrasonic, and combined mechanical pretreatment). With the increase in mechanical pretreatment types, the covalent binding of proteins and polysaccharides in IRBPPP gradually enhanced, the breakage efficiency of IRBPPP gradually increased (IRBPPP particle size decreased from 220.54 to 67.89 μm, the specific surface area of IRBPPP particle increased from 993.47 to 2033.86 cm^-1/g), and the microstructure of IRBPPP gradually showed an orderly network structure, which enhanced the IRBPPP dispersion stability and the Pickering emulsion stability. Pickering emulsion stability was highly correlated (P < 0.01) with the breakage efficiency of IRBPPP particles. Overall, the combined mechanical pretreatment improved the stability of the IRBPPP-stabilized Pickering emulsion. The study added value to rice bran products and offered a new way to create stable food-grade Pickering emulsions for functional foods using natural protein-polysaccharide-phenol complex particles.