Gut microbiota composition and changes in patients with sepsis: potential markers for predicting survival.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis can cause immune dysregulation and multiple organ failure in patients and eventually lead to death. The gut microbiota has demonstrated its precise therapeutic potential in the treatment of various diseases. This study aimed to discuss the structural changes of the gut microbiota in patients with sepsis and to analyze the differences in the gut microbiota of patients with different prognoses. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter study in which rectal swab specimens were collected on the first and third days of sepsis diagnosis. A total of 70 specimens were collected, and gut microbiota information was obtained by 16S rRNA analysis. RESULTS: The relative abundance of Enterococcus decreased in rectal swab specimens during the first three days of diagnosis in patients with sepsis, while the relative abundance of inflammation-associated Bacillus species such as Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, and Bacteroidetes increased. By comparing the differences in the flora of the survival group and the death group, we found that the abundance of Veillonella and Ruminococcus in the death group showed an increasing trend (p < 0.05), while the abundance of Prevotella_6 and Prevotella_sp_S4_BM14 was increased in surviving patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, reflecting overall gut microbial composition, was significantly lower on day three of sepsis diagnosis. Changes in the abundance of specific gut microbiota may serve as prognostic markers in patients with sepsis.

Homogeneous Vacancies-Enhanced Orbital Hybridization for Selective and Efficient CO2-to-CO Electrocatalysis.

Crafting vacancies offers an efficient route to upgrade the selectivity and productivity of nanomaterials for CO2 electroreduction. However, defective nanoelectrocatalysts bear catalytically active vacancies mostly on their surface, with the rest of the interior atoms adiaphorous for CO2-to-product conversion. Herein, taking nanosilver as a prototype, we arouse the catalytic ability of internal atoms by creating homogeneous vacancies realized via electrochemical reconstruction of silver halides. The homogeneous vacancies-rich nanosilver, compared to the surface vacancies-dominated counterpart, features a more positive d-band center to trigger an intensified hybridization of the Ag_d orbital with the C_P orbital of the *COOH intermediate, leading to an accelerated CO2-to-CO transformation. These structural and electronic merits allow a large-area (9 cm-2) electrode to generate nearly pure CO with a CO/H2 Faradaic efficiency ratio of 6932 at an applied current of 7.5 A. These findings highlight the potential of designing new-type defects in realizing the industrialization of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Development and Validation of Tumor Marker Indices in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Tumor markers (TMs) are important for the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). However, the prognostic importance of the tumor marker index (TMI) based on GC-specific TMs for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) still needs to be further explored. METHODS: We retrospectively examined patients who underwent radical gastric cancer surgery between February 2014 and June 2016 at the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Harbin Medical University. The patients were divided into training and validation groups. TMI was determined as the geometric mean of the standard cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels. Patient overall survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Independent prognosis-associated risk factors were identified using Cox hazard regression models. A nomogram model incorporating TMI and clinicopathological factors was developed, and its performance was evaluated using a decision curve analysis, concordance index, and calibration plots. RESULTS: In the TMI training cohort, the cutoff value was set at .439, categorizing patients into TMI-High and TMI-Low groups. The 5-year survival rate in the TMI-Low group significantly surpassed that in the TMI-High group (78.2% vs 58.1% and 49.7 vs 41.6, P < .001). TMI emerged as an independent prognostic factor. The nomogram accurately predicted patient prognosis by using TMI and clinicopathological characteristics. Validation of the TMI in the independent cohort yielded satisfactory results. CONCLUSION: The TMI constructed based on specific TMs associated with gastric cancer can offer a precise prognostic prediction for patients.

Early gut microbiological changes and metabolomic changes in patients with sepsis: a preliminary study.

The gut microbiota is closely related to the development of sepsis. The aim of this study was to explore changes in the gut microbiota and gut metabolism, as well as potential relationships between the gut microbiota and environmental factors in the early stages of sepsis. Fecal samples were collected from 10 septic patients on the first and third days following diagnosis in this study. The results showed that in the early stages of sepsis, the gut microbiota is dominated by microorganisms that are tightly associated with inflammation, such as Escherichia-Shigella, Enterococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Streptococcus. On sepsis day 3 compared to day 1, there was a significant decrease in Lactobacillus and Bacteroides and a significant increase in Enterobacteriaceae, Streptococcus, and Parabacteroides. Culturomica_massiliensis, Prevotella_7 spp., Prevotellaceae, and Pediococcus showed significant differences in abundance on sepsis day 1, but not on sepsis day 3. Additionally, 2-keto-isovaleric acid 1 and 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone metabolites significantly increased on sepsis day 3 compared to day 1. Prevotella_7 spp. was positively correlated with phosphate and negatively correlated with 2-keto-isovaleric acid 1 and 3-hydroxypropionic acid 1, while Prevotella_9 spp. was positively correlated with sequential organ failure assessment score, procalcitonin and intensive care unit stay time. In conclusion, the gut microbiota and metabolites are altered during sepsis, with some beneficial microorganisms decreasing and some pathogenic microorganisms increasing. Furthermore, Prevotellaceae members may play different roles in the intestinal tract, with Prevotella_7 spp. potentially possessing beneficial health properties and Prevotella_9 spp. potentially playing a promoting role in sepsis.

Optimization of enzymatic soy protein isolate-glucosamine conjugates to improve the freeze-thaw stability of emulsion.

BACKGROUND: Using transglutaminase (TGase) is a new method to improve protein properties in order to promote protein glycosylation. This article mainly studies soy protein isolate (SPI) and glucosamine to improve the freeze-thaw stability of emulsion under the action of TGase. The degree of glycosylation was studied by the content of free amino groups and the degree of conjugation. The optimal conditions for preparing soy protein isolate-glucosamine (SPI-G) conjugate were determined by a response surface optimization model based on single-factor experiments using the creaming index of the emulsion after the first freeze-thaw cycle as the response value. RESULTS: The results showed that the emulsion had the lowest creaming index when the conditions of protein concentration was 20 g L-1 , mass ratio of SPI-G was 5:3 (w/w), enzyme addition amount was 10 U g-1 , and reaction time was 2 h. The optimized modified product was measured for the creaming index after the first freeze-thaw cycle. It was found that the creaming index of the modified product SPI-G after the first freeze-thaw cycle was 9.02%, which was less than and close to the optimized model predicted value. The creaming index and optical microscopy results after three freeze-thaw cycles confirmed that the freeze-thaw stability of the SPI-G samples was significantly enhanced after optimization of the response surface model. CONCLUSION: It showed that glycosylation promoted by TGase could improve the freeze-thaw stability of SPI emulsion, thereby broadening the application of SPI in food. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of AADAC gene expression on prognosis in patients with Borrmann type III advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of Borrmann type III advanced gastric cancer (AGC) is known to vary significantly among patients. This study aimed to determine which differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are directly related to the survival time of Borrmann type III AGC patients and to construct a prognostic model. METHODS: We selected 25 patients with Borrmann type III AGC who underwent radical gastrectomy. According to the difference in overall survival (OS), the patients were divided into group A (OS<1 year, n=11) and group B (OS>3 years, n=14). DEGs related to survival time in patients with Borrmann type III AGC were determined by mRNA sequencing. The prognosis and functional differences of DEGs in different populations were determined by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) public databases. The expression of mRNA and protein in cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB). Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was used to detect protein expression in the paraffin-embedded tissues of 152 patients with Borrmann type III AGC who underwent radical gastrectomy. After survival analysis, nomograms were constructed to predict the prognosis of patients with Borrmann type III AGC. RESULTS: Arylacetamide deacetylase (AADAC) is a survival-related DEG in patients with Borrmann type III AGC. The higher the expression level of its mRNA and protein is, the better the prognosis of patients. Bioinformatics analysis found that AADAC showed significant differences in prognosis and function in European and American populations and Asian populations. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of AADAC were high in differentiated gastric cancer (GC) cells. We also found that AADAC was an independent prognostic factor for patients with Borrmann type III AGC, and its high expression was significantly correlated with better OS and disease-free survival (DFS). Nomogram models of AADAC expression level combined with clinicopathological features can be used to predict the OS and DFS of Borrmann type III AGC. CONCLUSION: AADAC can be used as a biomarker to predict the prognosis of Borrmann type III AGC and has the potential to become a new therapeutic target for GC.

Food irradiation: a promising technology to produce hypoallergenic food with high quality.

The increasing incidence of food allergy cases is a public health problem of global concern. Producing hypoallergenic foods with high quality, low cost, and eco-friendly is a new trend for the food industry in the coming decades. Food irradiation, a non-thermal food processing technology, is a powerful tool to reduce the allergenicity with the above advantages. This review presents a summary of recent studies about food irradiation to reduce the allergenicity of food, including shellfish, soy, peanut, milk, tree nut, egg, wheat and fish. Principles of food irradiation, including mechanisms of allergenicity-reduction, irradiation types and characteristics, are discussed. Specific effects of food irradiation are also evaluated, involving microbial decontamination, improvement or preservation of nutritional value, harmful substances reduction of food products. Furthermore, the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of food irradiation are analyzed. It is concluded that food irradiation is a safety tool to reduce the allergenicity of food effectively, with high nutritional value and long shelf-life, making it a competitive alternative technology to traditional techniques such as heating treatments. Of note, a combination of irradiation with additional processing may be a trend for food irradiation.

Structural and emulsifying properties of soybean protein isolate glycated with glucose based on pH treatment.

BACKGROUNDS: In the present study, a glycosylated soybean protein with glucose was prepared after pH treatment under different conditions (5.0, 6.0 7.0, 8.0, 9.0) and the conformation and emulsifying properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI) and soybean protein isolate-glucose (SPI-G) were investigated. RESULTS: The degree of grafting (37.11%) and browning (39.2%) of SPI-G conjugates were obtained at pH 9.0 (P < 0.05). The results of analysis of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Endogenous fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the Maillard reaction between the SPI and glucose occurred and the natural rigid structure of test proteins was stretched and became looser, and thus the tertiary conformation was unfolding. Furthermore, the particle size of the all of samples was reduced under different pH conditions, indicating that pH treatment can increase the flexibility of SPI molecules. The proteins exhibited the best surface hydrophobicity, thermal stability and emulsifying activity (EA) of modified products when subjected to a pH treatment of 9.0, whereas they afforded the best emulsion stability (ES) at pH 8.0. There was a good correlation between the molecular flexibility and emulsifying properties of SPI-G [0.963 (F:EA) and 0.879 (F:ES)] (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study shows that the structural and emulsification characteristics of natural SPI and SPI-G conjugates have been significantly enhanced via pH treatment and these results provide a theoretical guidance for the application of glycosylated SPI in the food industry. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of transglutaminase glycosylated soy protein isolate on its structure and interfacial properties.

BACKGROUNDS: The structural and interfacial properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI) after glycosylation by the transglutaminase method were studied. It is hoped that preliminary explorations will find a new food ingredient and broader application of SPI in the food industry. RESULTS: The contents of free amino proves that transglutaminase can insert glucosamine into SPI through its transamination, and realize the enzymatic glycosylated SPI. The results of structure properties showed that a decrease in the content of the α-helical structure indicates that the rigid structure of the protein is opened and the flexibility is increased. The blue shift of the maximum fluorescence intensity of soy protein isolate-glucosamine with transglutaminase (SPI-G) indicates the formation of a new substance; scanning electron microscopy shows that the SPI-G powder can be seen at a magnification of 2000×, and the protein structure becomes soft. The results of interfacial properties found that enzymatic protein glycosylation exposes the internal hydrophobic groups of SPI, resulting in increased surface hydrophobicity, increased emulsification and emulsification stability, and reduced surface tension. CONCLUSION: It shows that SPI-G effectively improves the interfacial properties of SPI, providing a theoretical basis for the application of enzymatic glycosylation of SPI in the food industry. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Materials Strategies and Device Architectures of Emerging Power Supply Devices for Implantable Bioelectronics.

Implantable bioelectronics represent an emerging technology that can be integrated into the human body for diagnostic and therapeutic functions. Power supply devices are an essential component of bioelectronics to ensure their robust performance. However, conventional power sources are usually bulky, rigid, and potentially contain hazardous constituent materials. The fact that biological organisms are soft, curvilinear, and have limited accommodation space poses new challenges for power supply systems to minimize the interface mismatch and still offer sufficient power to meet clinical-grade applications. Here, recent advances in state-of-the-art nonconventional power options for implantable electronics, specifically, miniaturized, flexible, or biodegradable power systems are reviewed. Material strategies and architectural design of a broad array of power devices are discussed, including energy storage systems (batteries and supercapacitors), power devices which harvest sources from the human body (biofuel cells, devices utilizing biopotentials, piezoelectric harvesters, triboelectric devices, and thermoelectric devices), and energy transfer devices which utilize sources in the surrounding environment (ultrasonic energy harvesters, inductive coupling/radiofrequency energy harvesters, and photovoltaic devices). Finally, future challenges and perspectives are given.

Organocatalyzed enantioselective Mannich reaction of pyrazoleamides with isatin-derived ketimines.

The first organocatalytic enantioselective Mannich reaction of pyrazoleamides with isatin-derived N-Boc ketimines has been developed to afford 2-oxindole-based chiral ß-amino amides in good yields (84-97%) with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (up to 99:1 dr and >99% ee).

Study of the mechanism of non-covalent interactions between chlorogenic acid and soy protein isolate: Multi-spectroscopic, in vitro, and computational docking analyses.

This study investigated the interaction mechanism between chlorogenic acid (CA) and soy protein isolate (SPI) through multi-spectroscopic and computational docking and analyzed the changes in its functional properties. The results showed that the interaction of CA with SPI changed its UV and fluorescence absorption, and the fluorescence quenching mechanism was static quenching. At the same time, the secondary structure of the protein was altered, with a reduction in α-helix, ß-sheet and ß-turn. Computer docking analysis showed that CA binds to SPI through hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals forces, and hydrogen bonding to form a more compact complex. In addition, the dose-dependent enhancement of CA improved the functional properties of the complexes, including foaming, emulsification, and antioxidant properties. This study systematically investigated the mechanism of interaction between CA and SPI, which supports further research on food complex systems containing CA and SPI, as well as the application of the complex.

Interaction of soy protein isolate with hydroxytyrosol based on an alkaline method: Implications for structural and functional properties.

This study investigated the effect of different concentrations of hydroxytyrosol (HT) covalently bound to soy protein isolate (SPI) by the alkaline method on the structure and function of the adducts. The amount of polyphenol bound to SPI first increased to a maximum of 42.83 % ± 1.08 % and then decreased. After the covalent binding of HT to SPI, turbidity and in vitro protein digestibility increased and decreased significantly with increasing concentrations of HT added, respectively, and the structure of SPI was changed. The adducts had a maximum solubility of 52.52 % ± 0.33 %, and their water holding capacity reached a maximum of 8.22 ± 0.11 g/g at a concentration of 50 µmol/g of HT. Covalent modification with HT significantly increased the emulsifying and foaming properties and antioxidant activity of SPI; the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates increased by 296.89 % and 33.80 %, respectively, at a concentration of 70 µmol/g of HT.

Formation, structure and functional characteristics of amyloid fibrils formed based on soy protein isolates.

Food protein-derived amyloid fibrils possess great untapped potential applications in food and other biomaterials. The objective of this report was to investigate the formation mechanism, structure and functional characterization of soy protein amyloid fibrils (SPF) through hydrolysis and heating (pH 2.0, 85 °C, 0-24 h) of soy protein isolate (SPI). Fibrillation growth analysis indicated polypeptide hydrolysis upon hydrolytic heating, and the amyloid fibrils were basically formed 8 h later. The microstructure of SPF was monitored by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, exhibiting change from an irregular spherical structure to a coiled, intertwined thread-like polymer. The secondary structures of SPI all changed drastically during the fibrillation process was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which the α-helical and ß-turned content decreasing by 12.67 % and 5.07 %, respectively, and the content of ordered ß-folded structures increasing with heating time, finally increasing to 53.61 % at 24 h. The fluorescence intensity of the endogenous fluorescence spectra decreased and the maximum emission wavelength was red-shifted, suggesting that the fibrillation unfolded the protein structure, hydrolyzed and self-assembled into amyloid fibrils aggregates obscuring the aromatic amino acid residues. The emulsification activity, emulsion stability and viscosity of SPF improved with the increase in protein fibrillation.

Freeze-thaw stability of transglutaminase-induced soy protein-maltose emulsion gel: Focusing on morphology, texture properties, and rheological characteristics.

In this study, soy protein isolate (SPI) and maltose (M) were employed as materials for the synthesis of a covalent compound denoted as SPI-M. The emulsion gel was prepared by transglutaminase (TGase) as catalyst, and its freeze-thaw stability was investigated. The occurrence of Maillard reaction was substantiated through SDS-PAGE. The analysis of spectroscopy showed that the structure of the modified protein was more stretched, changed in the direction of freeze-thaw stability. After three freeze-thaw cycles (FTC), it was observed that the water holding capacity of SPI-M, SPI/M mixture (SPI+M) and SPI emulsion gels exhibited reductions of 8.49 %, 16.85 %, and 20.26 %, respectively. Moreover, the soluble protein content also diminished by 13.92 %, 23.43 %, and 35.31 %, respectively. In comparison to unmodified SPI, SPI-M exhibited increase in gel hardness by 160 %, while elasticity, viscosity, chewability, and cohesion demonstrated reductions of 17.7 %, 23.3 %, 33.3 %, and 6.76 %, respectively. Concurrently, the SPI-M emulsion gel exhibited the most rapid gel formation kinetics. After FTCs, the gel elastic modulus (G') and viscosity modulus (G″) of SPI-M emulsion were the largest. DSC analysis underscored the more compact structure and heightened thermal stability of the SPI-M emulsion gel. SEM demonstrated that the SPI-M emulsion gel suffered the least damage following FTCs.

Combined metabolomic and proteomic analysis of sepsis related acute liver injury and its pathogenesis research.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis-induced acute liver injury is common in patients in intensive care units. However, the exact mechanism of this condition remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles and mechanisms of proteins and metabolites in the liver tissue of mice after sepsis and elucidate the molecular biological mechanisms of sepsis-related liver injury. METHODS: First, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis mouse model was established. Then, according to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) detection in mouse serum and liver histopathological examination (HE) staining, the septic mice were divided into two groups: acute liver injury after sepsis and nonacute liver injury after sepsis. Metabolomics and proteomic analyses were performed on the liver tissues of the two groups of mice to identify significantly different metabolites and proteins. The metabolomics and proteomics results were further analysed to identify the biological indicators and pathogenesis related to the occurrence and development of sepsis-related acute liver injury at the protein and metabolite levels. RESULTS: A total of 14 differentially expressed proteins and 46 differentially expressed metabolites were identified. Recombinant Erythrocyte Membrane Protein Band 4.2 (Epb42) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) may be the key proteins and metabolites responsible for sepsis-related acute liver injury, according to the correlation analysis of proteomics and metabolomics. The expression of the differential protein Epb42 was further verified by western blot (WB) detection. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the differential protein Epb42 may be key proteins causing sepsis-associated acute liver injury, providing new and valuable information on the possible mechanism of sepsis-associated acute liver injury.

Throat microbiota drives alterations in pulmonary alveolar microbiota in patients with septic ARDS.

OBJECTIVES: The translocation of intestinal flora has been linked to the colonization of diverse and heavy lower respiratory flora in patients with septic ARDS, and is considered a critical prognostic factor for patients. METHODS: On the first and third days of ICU admission, BALF, throat swab, and anal swab were collected, resulting in a total of 288 samples. These samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA analysis and the traceability analysis of new generation technology. RESULTS: On the first day, among the top five microbiota species in abundance, four species were found to be identical in BALF and throat samples. Similarly, on the third day, three microbiota species were found to be identical in abundance in both BALF and throat samples. On the first day, 85.16% of microorganisms originated from the throat, 5.79% from the intestines, and 9.05% were unknown. On the third day, 83.52% of microorganisms came from the throat, 4.67% from the intestines, and 11.81% were unknown. Additionally, when regrouping the 46 patients, the results revealed a significant predominance of throat microorganisms in BALF on both the first and third day. Furthermore, as the disease progressed, the proportion of intestinal flora in BALF increased in patients with enterogenic ARDS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with septic ARDS, the main source of lung microbiota is primarily from the throat. Furthermore, the dynamic trend of the microbiota on the first and third day is essentially consistent.It is important to note that the origin of the intestinal flora does not exclude the possibility of its origin from the throat.

Enhancing the stability of oil-in-water emulsions by non-covalent interaction between whey protein isolate and hyaluronic acid.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of non-covalent interactions between different concentrations (0.1-1.2 %, w/v) of hyaluronic acid (HA) and 3 % (w/v) whey protein isolate (WPI) on the stability of oil-in-water emulsions. Non-covalent interactions between WPI and HA were detected using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The addition of HA increased the electrostatic repulsion between molecules and reduced the particle size of WPI. Circular dichroism spectroscopy results indicated that the addition of HA caused an increase in ß-sheet content and a decrease in α-helix and random coil content in WPI. Moreover, HA increased the emulsion viscosity and strength of the interfacial network structure. Micrographs obtained using confocal laser scanning microscopy indicated that the emulsion with 0.8 % (w/v) HA exhibited good dispersion and homogeneity after storage for 14 d. Complexation with HA significantly altered the rheological and emulsifying properties of WPI, providing an emulsion with excellent stability under heating treatment, freeze-thawing treatment and centrifugation. The results provide a potential for HA application in emulsified foods.

Emulsions stabilised by casein and hyaluronic acid: Effects of high intensity ultrasound on the stability and vitamin E digestive characteristics.

This study aimed to prepare an emulsion stabilised by an ultrasound-treated casein (CAS)-hyaluronic acid (HA) complex and to protect vitamin E during in vitro digestion. It was found that high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) treatment significantly changed the hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction between CAS and HA, reduced the particle size of the CAS-HA complex, increased the intermolecular electrostatic repulsion, and thus significantly improved the emulsifying properties of the CAS-HA complex. Meanwhile, the creaming index (CI) and confocal laser scanning microscopy images showed that the stability of the CAS-HA-stabilised emulsion was the best when treated at 150 W for 10 min, which could be attributed to the enhanced adsorption capacity of the CAS-HA complex at the oil-water interface and the viscosity of the formed emulsion. In vitro digestion experiments revealed that the emulsion stabilised by the ultrasound-treated CAS-HA complex had a good protective effect on vitamin E. This study is significant for the development of emulsions for the delivery of lipophilic nutrients.

Tuning whey protein isolate/hyaluronic acid emulsion gel structure to enhance quercetin bioaccessibility and in vitro digestive characteristics.

Quercetin (Que), a health-promoting polyphenol, has limited applicability in food products due to its susceptibility to degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. To overcome this problem, Que-loaded emulsion gels were produced using whey protein isolate (WPI) and hyaluronic acid (HA) by combining heating and CaCl2 treatment. The effects of HA addition on the structural and rheological properties of the emulsion gels were evaluated, and the protective effect of the gel on Que under simulated digestion was investigated in vitro. Microstructural observations indicated that HA leads to a more compact and uniform network structure, which significantly enhances the textural and rheological properties of emulsion gels. In vitro digestion experiments revealed that WPI-HA emulsion gels exhibited a higher Que bioaccessibility (55.01%) compared to that produced by WPI alone (21.26%). This innovative delivery carrier has potential applications in food products to accomplish sustained nutrient release along with improved stability.