Fabrication of pea protein-tannic acid complexes: Impact on formation, stability, and digestion of flaxseed oil emulsions

[Display omitted] •Pea protein (PP) and tannic acid (TA) were used to form physical complexes.•High TA levels promoted heat-induced aggregation of complexes and emulsions.•PP-TA complexes protected the flaxseed oil emulsions from droplet aggregation.•PP-TA complexes protected the flaxseed oil emulsions from lipid oxidation.•PP-TA complexes did not adversely affect the digestion of the emulsions. There is growing interest in the identification of plant-based functional ingredients for utilization within the food industry. Complexes were fabricated from pea protein (PP) and tannic acid (TA) and then their ability to act as antioxidant emulsifiers in flaxseed oil-in-water emulsions was studied. PP-TA complex formation was investigated using isothermal titration calorimetry and turbidity analysis, which suggested hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were important in their assembly. PP-TA-stabilized emulsions containing small droplets could be formed at relatively high TA levels. Moreover, PP-TA complexes had strong antioxidant activity, which extended the shelf life of flaxseed oil emulsions. The composition of the PP-TA complexes impacted the aggregation state of the lipid droplets under simulated gastric conditions, which affected the rate and extent of lipid digestion. This study shows PP-TA complexes can be used for fabricating flaxseed oil delivery systems with enhanced oxidative stability and good digestibility.