Alcogels based on secalin and konjac glucomannan composites for the controlled release of curcumin

Alcogel has been increasingly applied in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. However, their application is limited by the lack of efficient biomacromolecule-based gelators. Herein, we present our discovery of secalin, a prolamin from rye, combined with konjac glucomannan (KGM) as novel food-grade gelators. Secalin-KGM (SK) alcogels could be prepared by directly cooling down their alcoholic solution, resulting in a thermo-induced sol–gel transition. SK gels (5 w/v % in 50 v/v % ethanol solution) exhibited diverse microstructural features and tunable mechanical properties that could be adjusted by varying the ratio of secalin to KGM. Microscopic images showed that when blended at a certain ratio, a homogeneous porous network is formed due to strong intermolecular interactions. Moreover, the SK gels exhibited a great ability to controllably release curcumin under simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions. The findings provide a novel plant protein–polysaccharide system to develop alcogels with tunable gelling properties and digestibility for functional food and drug delivery applications.