• Physically structured emulsion...

*Result*: Physically structured emulsion-filled gels based on Euglena-xanthan depletion mixtures for 3D printing.

Title:
Physically structured emulsion-filled gels based on Euglena-xanthan depletion mixtures for 3D printing.
Authors:
Tang S; Department of Food Science & Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China., Feng G; State Key Laboratory of Marine Food Processing & Safety Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, 1299 Sansha Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao, 266003, China., Xu L; Department of Food Science & Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China., Tian J; Department of Food Science & Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China., Liu Y; Hainan Key Laboratory of Storage & Processing of Fruits and Vegetables, Agricultural Products Processing Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong, 524001, China. Electronic address: liuyijun-1@163.com., Li Z; Department of Food Science & Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China. Electronic address: zichaoli@qdu.edu.cn.
Source:
Carbohydrate polymers [Carbohydr Polym] 2026 Mar 15; Vol. 376, pp. 124856. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Dec 22.
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8307156 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-1344 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01448617 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Carbohydr Polym Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Publication: <1992-> : Barking : Elsevier Applied Science Publishers
Original Publication: London [Eng.] : Applied Science Publishers, c1981-
MeSH Terms:
Polysaccharides, Bacterial*/chemistry , Euglena gracilis*/chemistry , Printing, Three-Dimensional*, Emulsions/chemistry ; Gels/chemistry ; Plant Oils/chemistry ; Rheology ; Viscosity
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: 3D printing; Depletion mixtures; Emulsion-filled gel; Euglena gracilis; Xanthan gum
Substance Nomenclature:
TTV12P4NEE (xanthan gum)
0 (Emulsions)
0 (Polysaccharides, Bacterial)
0 (Gels)
0 (Plant Oils)
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20260129 Date Completed: 20260129 Latest Revision: 20260129
Update Code:
20260130
DOI:
10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.124856
PMID:
41611415
Database:
MEDLINE

*Further Information*

*The development of sustainable 3D-printable food systems requires soft materials that exhibit shear-thinning behavior during extrusion while maintaining structural integrity post-deposition. Here, we report a novel 3D-printable emulsion-filled gel system fabricated via in situ emulsification within a physically structured matrix formed by depletion interactions between Euglena gracilis biomass particles and xanthan gum (XG) polymers. Rheological analysis showed that these depletion interactions in aqueous dispersions produced weak colloidal gels with tunable viscoelasticity depending on the particle-to-polymer ratio. Incorporation of 40 wt% vegetable oil into the depletion mixtures through low-shear homogenization yielded stable, self-supporting emulsion-filled gels suitable for 3D printing. Interfacial measurements revealed that water-soluble components released from E. gracilis acted as endogenous emulsifiers, facilitating the formation and stabilization of finely dispersed oil droplets within the colloidal matrix. Large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) measurements demonstrated that the embedded oil droplets contributed to increased gel strength and mechanical resilience, thereby enhancing extrudability and shape fidelity during 3D printing. This physically driven strategy eliminates the need for additional thermal or chemical treatments to produce gel matrix, providing a sustainable platform for developing functional, biocompatible soft materials suitable for personalized nutrition, advanced food structuring, and other edible applications.
(Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)*

*Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.*