Preparation of KO Emulsions
The creation of KO emulsions followed a two-phase procedure. In the
aqueous phase, a 2.5% wt% stabilizer consisting of 65% sodium
caseinate, 6% gum arabic, and 29% Tween-20 was added to a pH 7
phosphate buffer solution. This mixture was stirred for 2 h to ensure
complete dissolution. Simultaneously, the oil phase was formed by
dispersing 0.3g of KO in a 20 mL solution comprising dichloromethane and
acetone in a 1:2 v/v ratio. The two phases were combined at a 1:9 ratio
and stirred at 40 ℃ for 1 hour, resulting in the formation of a coarse
emulsion. This crude emulsion was further sheared at speeds ranging from
800 to 1000 r/min for 5 to 7 minutes. Subsequently, a high-pressure
homogenization (HPH) process was implemented, involving three rounds of
homogenization at 800 bar (equivalent to 80 MPa). To remove any residual
organic solvent, vacuum processing was employed (Kaya et al., 2021).
In parallel, a separate set of KO emulsions was produced using a
(Langfang General Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Langfang, China)
microfluidizer by following established protocols detailed in prior
research. Essentially, this involved homogenizing a 10% w/w oil phase
with a 90% w/w water phase. The oil and water phases were individually
introduced into the dual-channel microfluidized bed through glass
reservoirs. Upon convergence, they underwent high-pressure conditions of
80 MPa and were subjected to three cycles of this process (Zhao et al.,
2021).