Physical and functional properties of plant-based pre-emulsified chewable gels for the oral delivery of nutraceuticals

•Emulsion gels with agar (AEG) and pectin (PEG) as gelling agents were formulated and compared to gelatin emulsion gels (GEG).•AEG had a much higher melting point than GEG, while PEG had a more similar melting temperature to GEG.•AEG were harder and more brittle, whereas PEG were softer than GEG.•AEG and PEG exhibited a lower extent of total lipolysis and initial lipolysis rate in vitro, compared to GEG. Gelatin-based pre-emulsified chewable gels have presented advantages over traditional tablets, bulk oils, hard and soft capsules for oral delivery. Ethical, ecological, and religious considerations have increased the demand for plant-based gelling agents which can be formulated into chewable emulsion gels. Plant-based polysaccharide emulsion gels prepared with agar and pectin were compared to gelatin emulsion gels regarding rheological, textural, and functional properties. The agar emulsion gel had higher gelling/melting temperatures (Tg: 40 °C, Tm: 90 °C) than the gelatin emulsion gel (Tg: 37 °C, Tm: 45 °C), whereas pectin emulsion gel had a more similar gelling/melting profile to the gelatin formulation (Tg: 38 °C, Tm: 54 °C). Texture analyses revealed that the agar emulsion gel had a harder and more brittle texture, whereas pectin emulsion gel had a softer texture than the gelatin emulsion gel. Pectin emulsion gels had the largest average droplet size (32 μm), followed by agar (13 μm) and gelatin emulsion gels (1 μm). The in vitro lipolysis experiments indicated that the polysaccharide emulsion gels were lipolyzed to a lower extent and had a slower initial lipolysis rate (agar: 2.8 μmol FFA/sec, pectin: 4.3 μmol FFA/sec), compared to the gelatin emulsion gel (24.9 μmol FFA/sec). The industrial potential and challenges of the polysaccharide emulsion gels were evaluated, and the results show that plant based pre-emulsified chewable gels can be manufactured for the oral delivery of nutraceuticals.