Fabrication, characterization, and application of Pickering emulsion stabilized by tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) waste microcrystalline cellulose

Abstract

A massive amount of tea waste was generated in tea processing. In order to fully utilize tea waste, tea waste microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was used as stabilizer without any other treatment to fabricate Pickering emulsion. Emulsion was produced by high pressure homogenization and characterized in terms of physicochemical parameters, morphologies and stabilities. High MCC concentration, high pH, low oil-water ratio and low ionic strength were benefited for emulsion stability. Pickering emulsions stabilized by MCC were stable for 42 days with the MCC concentration of 1.00% and 2.00%, oil-water ratio of 1:9, pH of 7.0 and ionic strength of 0 mM. Encapsulation in Pickering emulsion stabilized by MCC enhanced the stability of lycopene against photodegradation and thermal degradation, and high concentration of MCC promoted protection. Lycopene loaded in Pickering emulsion showed high stability and bioaccessibility during simulated digestion in vitro. Tea waste MCC could be used to prepare low fat and low salt Pickering emulsions, and provided perspective on high value-added utilization of tea waste.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Tea waste
• microcrystalline cellulose
• Pickering emulsion
• encapsulation
• bioaccessibility

Acknowledge

This work was supported by the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Ability Construction Project from Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China under Grant [number 2020-440100-012846]; Special Innovation Projects of Education Department of Guangdong Province, China under Grant [number 2017KTSCX019]; and China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA under Grant [number CARS-19].

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.