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[Display omitted] • -KC hydrogel beads with more SMGHs can increase Cur load due to tight cross-linking. • -Modified FTIR and amorphous structure in SMGHs/KC/KCl prove successful Cur embedment. • -SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur hydrogel beads have heterogeneous networks with backbone and voids. • -SMGHs/KC/KCl hydrogel beads perform as effective colon-targeting Cur delivery system. • -SMGHs/KC/KCl hydrogel beads promise Cur preservation above 90% during 30 day at 4 °C. Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates (SMGHs)/ κ -carrageenan (KC)/KCl beads with SMGHs:KC ratios (0:10–5:5) were investigated. SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur bead (5:5) exhibited the most intact spherical morphology and highest Cur loading content of 0.063 mg/0.1 g bead, ascribing to a shortened T 23 from 1607.9 to 966.4 ms, and red and blueshifts of O H, NH, amide I and II bands. The undetected fingerprint region within 7.82°-28.90° of SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur beads indicated successful Cur entrapment. Moreover, SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur beads exhibited shrinkage network backbones and larger void pores as SMGHs increased, with vessel percentage area, total number of junctions, total vessel length decreasing from 52.1, 1446.8, 57931.4 to 39.7, 530.5, 34458.4, and lacunarity increasing from 0.048 to 0.111, respectively. Furthermore, Cur showed approximately 50% release contents in colon phase and above 90% retention rate during 30 days of storage at 4 °C. These results suggested that SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur beads exhibited sustained-release of Cur and promised stable Cur preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of scallop male gonads hydrolysates (SMGHs) and κ -carrageenan (KC) was applied for curcumin (Cur) embedment and preservation, the corresponding Cur retention rate as well as gelation and microstructural properties were investigated during storage subjected to various pH (8 and 6) and temperature (25 °C and 4 °C). SMGHs-based gels could well protect Cur from degradation during 4 °C storage, with retention rate ranging from 95% to 97% after 30 day storage. At 25 °C, Cur could still be well preserved in SMGHs-based gels under pH 6 with Cur retention rate above 90%, while pH 8 led to rapid Cur degradation to around 75%. In addition, at pH 8 and 25 °C, the gel strength of SMGHs-Cur deteriorated significantly while evidently enhanced in SMGHs/KC-Cur due to synergistic combination within SMGHs and KC in couple with dehydration effect. Moreover, the water migration and distribution of SMGHs-based Cur-loaded vehicles were relatively stable at 4 °C while revealed apparent deterioration at 25 °C during storage. Furthermore, the microstructures of SMGHs/KC-Cur gradually transformed from homogeneous network with dense and smooth pores to tattered network with large and fragmentary pores, especially at 25 °C, promoting more Cur degradation. This study demonstrated that SMGHs/KC-Cur exhibited better than SMGHs-Cur in Cur preservation, potentially performing as excellent and sustainable protein hydrolysate/polysaccharide soft materials in food and biomedical fields. [Display omitted] • Acidic and low temperature are favorable for Cur protection in SMGHs-based vehicles. • SMGHs/KC performs better Cur preservation than SMGHs above 98% at 4 °C after 30 day. • Enhanced gel strength of SMGHs/KC-Cur after pH 8, 4 °C storage is due to dehydration. • Water migration and distribution are stable at 4 °C while deteriorate at 25 °C. • Compact and dense porous networks of SMGHs/KC allow more Cur retention at 4 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A composite hydrogel composed of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates (SMGHs) and κ -carrageenan (KC) was fabricated with a designed microstructure to preserve curcumin (Cur) during the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The presence of KC obviously increased the initial elastic moduli (8.2–761.8 Pa), shortened the relaxation time T 23 (517.37–420.10 ms) as well as caused the blue shift of the emission peak and quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of Cur in SMGHs/KC-Cur system, signifying the solid combination within SMGHs and KC. In addition, the red shift in O–H stretching bands and blue shift in amide I bands in SMGHs/KC-Cur further accentuated the involvement of hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions within SMGHs, KC and Cur. The disappearance of crystalline structures suggested the successful embedment of Cur in the hydrophobic core of SMGHs. Moreover, the microstructure of the hydrogels varied from heterogeneous with tattered large pore cavities and scattered patches to homogeneous distribution with dense mesh and solid network wall. These scenarios caused a more compact network of SMGHs/KC-Cur than SMGHs-Cur to protect Cur from releasing in simulated intestinal and simulated colonic phases with slower released rate, both of which had the final extent of Cur release exceeding 90%. Furthermore, cryo-SEM showed that the significant release of Cur from hydrogels in the simulated intestinal phase was due to SMGHs matrix erosion with even larger pore sizes, tattered network and thinner network wall. Therefore, it is suggested that SMGHs/KC hydrogels with biocompatibility and good tolerance to acid environment could be reliable and desirable soft materials to embed and deliver Cur to the colon, having potential applications in functional foods and biological therapeutic purposes. [Display omitted] - Enhancement of gel elasticity in SMGHs/KC confirmed a feasible Cur-loaded carrier. - Migration of water in SMGHs/KC to bound water direction supported the Cur embedment. - Compact and dense porous networks of SMGHs/KC contributed to the Cur embedment. - Better sustained release of Cur in SMGHs/KC promised the delivery of Cur in colon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]