Effect of curcumin/cyclodextrin composite on the gelation and 3D printability of к-carrageenan in the sucrose co-solute field

Although the gelation mechanism of & kcy;-carrageenan (KC) is well understood, the interaction between cyclodextrin composites and KC in the presence of co-solutes, and its impact on gel properties, have not been clearly studied. In this study, the effects of hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD)-curcumin (CUR) composite on the gel properties and 3D printing properties of KC were studied using sucrose (SUC) as co-solute. Results indicated that the KC gel containing the HPBCD-CUR composite exhibited the highest hardness and gumminess. All composite gels demonstrated shear thinning characteristics, and the KC gel containing the HPBCD-CUR composite had the smallest yield stress (tau f, 92.92 Pa) and consistency coefficient (K, 23.24 Pa & sdot;sn). By analyzing the gelation temperature (Tg) and gel structure formation rate (SDRa), it was found that the addition of the HPBCD-CUR composite resulted in the KC gel reached the maximum Tg (37.04 degrees C) and SDRa (13.06 Pa/min). Meanwhile, the composite gel achieved optimal 3D printing performance at 40 degrees C. This study highlights the advantages of encapsulating CUR with HPBCD, offering new insights for 3D printing of functional gel-based foods.