{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T05:01:58Z","timestamp":1789794118591,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789603200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Independent Project by Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan","award":["202507ZYZ06"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202507ZYZ06"]}]},{"name":"National Key Research and Development Program of China","award":["2024YFD1301305"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024YFD1301305"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In this study, zein\u2013curdlan (CU) composite nanoparticles were fabricated via an anti-solvent precipitation method. The effects of preparation parameters, including the mass ratio, reaction pH, and temperature, on the physicochemical properties and emulsifying attributes of the composite particles were systematically investigated. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed changes in the local molecular environment and molecular organization following zein\u2013CU association, while particle size, zeta potential, and surface hydrophobicity measurements further demonstrated fabrication-dependent changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the composite particles. As the CU ratio increased, the zeta potential decreased to \u221225.5 mV, accompanied by a reduction in surface hydrophobicity, suggesting a more hydrophilic CU-associated particle surface. At pH 8, the particles showed the smallest size among the pH series (244.6 nm), which may be related to enhanced zein deprotonation and interparticle electrostatic repulsion under the tested conditions. A preparation temperature of 40 \u00b0C produced the smallest particles and the most favorable emulsifying properties among the temperatures examined. Overall, this work provides evidence for the formation and emulsifying performance of zein\/CU composite particles, broadening the application of plant protein\u2013polysaccharide complexes in food-grade Pickering emulsion systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15183278","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T08:03:17Z","timestamp":1789632197000},"page":"3278","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Effects of Fabrication Conditions on the Construction of Zein\u2013Curdlan Composite Nanoparticles and Their Emulsifying Attributes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-8206-2128","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chao","family":"Wu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Co-Constructed by Ministry of Education and Bejing Government, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shijia","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Co-Constructed by Ministry of Education and Bejing Government, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xue","family":"Bai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"},{"name":"Engineering Research Center of Bio-Process, Ministry of Education, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230601, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaojing","family":"Kang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ran","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Co-Constructed by Ministry of Education and Bejing Government, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mingkun","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Beibei","family":"Dou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6729-722X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Han","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Luohe 462000, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Co-Constructed by Ministry of Education and Bejing Government, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"100604","article-title":"Plant protein-based high internal phase Pickering emulsions: Functional properties and potential food applications","volume":"12","author":"Ji","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. 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