<i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Polysaccharide‐Stabilized High Internal Phase Emulsions Enhance the Gastrointestinal Survival and Thermal Stability of <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i>

ABSTRACT This study successfully developed a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) stabilized by Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharide (PCP) for the efficient delivery of Lactobacillus acidophilus ( La ). Characterization of the extracted polysaccharide revealed an average molecular weight of approximately 1.27 × 10 5 Da. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) scanning and Fourier‐transformed infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed the high purity of PCP and revealed its characteristic pyranose and furanose ring structures. Atomic force microscopy observation showed a non‐helical, entangled network morphology. The emulsion system maintained a probiotic survival rate of 63.75% under simulated gastrointestinal digestion, retained 50.2% viability after heat treatment at 70°C, and preserved stable bacterial counts after 28 days of storage at 4°C, demonstrating significantly superior protection ( p &lt; 0.05) compared to the gum arabic‐based system. Mechanistic analysis indicated that the amphiphilic structure of PCP enables the formation of dense interfacial films and gel networks, effectively shielding the probiotics from environmental stress. These findings confirm the potential of PCP‐based HIPEs as a green and efficient probiotic delivery carrier for functional food applications.