Oligosaccharides, stachyose and α-dextran, as promising sucrose replacers in pectin gels for enhanced delivery of nobiletin.

Heavy addition of sucrose increases caloric content and health risks of the pectin gel product. In this study, oligosaccharides such as stachyose and dextran were used to fabricate pectin-based emulsion gel for loading nobiletin (Nob). Results showed that the pectin derived from Xuehua pear exhibited better gelling properties than citrus pectin. The water-holding capacity (WHC) of emulsion gels was higher than that of the corresponding pectin gels, with the dextran-induced group showing the highest WHC (82.35 ± 2.55 %). The viscosity of oligosaccharide-based emulsion gel was higher than that of sucrose-based gel, with the stachyose-based pear emulsion gel exhibiting the highest viscosity (2.9 Pa·s). Gel properties of pectin were positively correlated with its Mw, RG-I domains, and branching degree. The dextran-induced pear pectin emulsion gel showed the most effective and controlled release of Nob. Overall, oligosaccharides are potential prebiotic gelling agents to replace sucrose for the purpose of sugar reduction in food systems.