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Protein oleogels from heat-set whey protein aggregates
Auke de Vries1, Anne Wesseling1, Erik van der Linden2
1Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Nieuwe Kanaal 9A, 6709 PA Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wageningen University, Laboratory of Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|October 4, 2016
Summary
Whey protein aggregates form novel oleogels, providing solid-like properties to liquid oil. These protein-based structures offer tuneable rheological properties for diverse applications.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Whey protein aggregates are known for functionality in aqueous systems.
- Developing novel structuring agents for liquid oils is crucial for various industries.
- Oleogels require effective building blocks to impart desired physical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of heat-set whey protein aggregates as building blocks for oleogel formation.
- To characterize the structure and rheological properties of whey protein-based oleogels.
- To explore the potential of these oleogels in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of heat-set whey protein aggregates (∼200nm diameter).
- Solvent exchange procedure using acetone to transfer aggregates into sunflower oil.
- Oscillatory rheology measurements to determine network formation and mechanical properties.
- Application of fractal gel network theory to analyze rheological data.
Main Results:
- Whey protein aggregates were successfully transferred to sunflower oil without agglomeration.
- The aggregates self-assembled into a space-spanning network, creating oleogels with solid-like properties.
- Significant gelation (G'>G″) occurred at approximately 3% protein concentration.
- Rheological data indicated a strong link regime with a fractal dimension of 2.2.
Conclusions:
- Heat-set whey protein aggregates are effective novel building blocks for creating oleogels.
- These protein-based oleogels exhibit tuneable rheological properties.
- The findings present a promising approach for designing functional oleogels for diverse industrial applications.
