Optimizing whey isolate protein/mung bean protein ratios in emulsion gels for enhanced dihydroquercetin delivery: Gel properties, stability, and bioaccessibility insights.

To address the low bioavailability of dihydroquercetin (DHQ) and environmental burden of animal-derived proteins, this study prepared a novel dual-protein emulsion gel system combining whey protein isolate (WPI) and mung bean protein (MBP) for improved DHQ delivery. Different WPI/MBP ratios (100/0 to 0/100) were investigated for gel properties, stability, and DHQ bioaccessibility. Increasing WPI enhanced gel elasticity, water holding capacity, viscosity, and network density. The 80/20 ratio showed the highest DHQ retention (75 % after 24 h UV exposure), bioaccessibility (25 %), and transformation efficiency (67.86 %). As WPI content increased, disulfide bonds became the main force for gel formation, followed by hydrophobic interactions. The antioxidant capacity improved after digestion, with a DPPH scavenging rate over 90 %. These results highlight the potential of the WPI-MBP system for hydrophobic compound delivery and DHQ application in the food industry.