{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T16:32:46Z","timestamp":1776357166720,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776297600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"CIFST-Mengniu Foundation for Nutrition & Health Technologies","award":["2023-M01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023-M01"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study optimized stabilizer type and concentration, and screened natural antioxidant combinations to enhance the stability of a protein beverage fortified with vitamins A, D2, and D3. Three stabilizers\u2014carrageenan, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC), and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)\u2014were evaluated at 0.15\u20130.45% (w\/v) during accelerated storage at 45 \u00b0C for 21 days. Stability was assessed using Turbiscan analysis, pH, particle size, Zeta potential, and color. MCC at 0.35% demonstrated the best stabilization, with minimal changes in Turbiscan Stability Index, particle size, and Zeta potential. Five natural antioxidants\u2014dl-\u03b1-tocopherol, vitamin C, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), tea polyphenols (TP), and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)\u2014were screened for vitamin protection using HPLC. Although vitamin C exhibited the highest in vitro DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 3.44 \u03bcg\/mL), TP and EGCG provided superior protection of vitamins in the emulsion system. A synergistic antioxidant blend of EGCG, TP, and dl-\u03b1-tocopherol in a 4:4:2 mass ratio was identified as optimal, significantly prolonging vitamin retention over 21 days and yielding the longest predicted shelf-life (&gt;84 days at 25 \u00b0C). These findings provide a practical formulation strategy for enhancing the physical and nutritional stability of functional protein beverages.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15081392","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T15:14:12Z","timestamp":1776352452000},"page":"1392","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Enhancing Stability of Vitamin-Fortified Protein Beverages: Optimization of Stabilizer Type and Concentration and Screening of Natural Antioxidant Combinations"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Jiaxin","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Health of Tianjin, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sumei","family":"Ru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Health of Tianjin, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Linru","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Health of Tianjin, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yingshuang","family":"Lu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Junping","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Health of Tianjin, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lu","family":"Dong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Health of Tianjin, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shuo","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106418","DOI":"10.1016\/j.smallrumres.2021.106418","article-title":"Formulation of a protein fortified drink based on goat milk whey for athletes","volume":"201","author":"Garay","year":"2021","journal-title":"Small Rumin. 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