Processing Strategy as a Determinant of Interfacial Characteristics, Stability, and Lipid Digestion in Ginsenoside‐Loaded Nanoemulsions

ABSTRACT

Emulsification strategy is an important processing parameter in nanoemulsion manufacture, yet its influence is often confounded by differences in droplet size. This study compared low‐energy microemulsion‐templated dilution and high‐energy ultrasonication for preparing blank and ginsenoside‐loaded nanoemulsions under conditions yielding similar mean droplet sizes. The resulting nanoemulsions were characterized in terms of droplet morphology, interfacial properties, encapsulation efficiency, physical stability, and in vitro lipid digestion behavior. Both approaches produced comparable hydrodynamic diameters (~54 nm), with no significant differences in mean core diameter among formulations; however, the blank high‐energy formulation exhibited greater core‐size heterogeneity than the other formulations. Regardless of ginsenoside loading or emulsification method, the droplets remained near‐spherical (circularity = 1). Ginsenoside incorporation increased the fixed aqueous layer thickness without substantially altering droplet size, consistent with changes in hydration‐related interfacial characteristics. Encapsulation and release behavior depended on ginsenoside structure and polarity, with relatively hydrophobic ginsenosides showing greater retention. Freeze–thaw destabilization involved both reversible flocculation and irreversible coalescence, whereas ginsenoside incorporation improved freeze–thaw stability, particularly in low‐energy formulations. During storage, high‐energy formulations exhibited superior size stability. In vitro lipid digestion showed that ginsenoside incorporation reduced fatty acid release, while the effect of emulsification strategy was dependent on ginsenoside loading despite comparable droplet sizes. These results demonstrate that emulsification strategy influences nanoemulsion performance beyond mean droplet size alone, highlighting emulsification pathway selection as an effective strategy for tailoring stability, encapsulation performance, and digestion behavior.