Physicochemical and functional properties of capsaicin loaded cricket protein isolate and alginate complexes.

As people become more aware of the health benefits of foods and their nutritional benefits for preventing diseases and promoting health, the demand for functional foods rich in proteins, fiber, and bioactives like capsaicin (CAP) is constantly rising. This study hypothesized that the electrostatic complexes developed by cricket protein isolate (CPI) and alginate (AL) could be utilized to encapsulate CAP, making it more water-soluble and protecting it at acidic pHs. Quantitative analysis revealed that CAP was efficiently encapsulated into the CPI-AL complexes with a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 91%, improving its aqueous solubility 45-fold. In vitro release tests showed that CAP was retained at acidic pHs (3.0 and 5.0) in CPI-AL complexes but released steadily at neutral pH (7.4), which will protect CAP in the stomach while enabling its release in the small intestine. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of CAP-CPI-AL complexes was superior to that of their individual bare equivalents. The complexes also demonstrated enhanced emulsifying capabilities and stability at acidic pHs (2.0-5.0) as the CPI fraction in the complexes increased. Our findings thus contribute to the growing body of knowledge that validates protein-polysaccharide complexation as a promising strategy for developing edible delivery systems.