Polysaccharide-protein complexes as encapsulation materials: A review

Abstract Studying the miscibility and interactions of biopolymers like polysaccharides and proteins is quite important mainly due to the wide number of applications such as the stabilization and encapsulation of active compounds in single and complex systems. The complexation takes place when materials like proteins and polysaccharides are blended to promote the entrapment of active compounds. The interaction forces between the charged groups in the polymeric chains allow the miscibility of the components in the complex system. The synergic effect of the biopolymers in the blend is a key feature to understand the intra- and inter-molecular interactions when designing delivery systems as it involves the interactions with the active compound and the wall biopolymers. However, some features of the biopolymers like structure, functional groups, or electrical charge as well as extrinsic parameters like pH or ratios might affect the structure and the performance of the complex system when used in encapsulation applications. This work summarizes the recent progress of the polysaccharide/protein complexes for encapsulation and the influence of the pH on the structural modifications during the complexation process.