Ultra-stable high internal phase emulsions stabilized by protein-anionic polysaccharide Maillard conjugates

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• High internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) are crucial in food and cosmetic industries.
• Developing stable HIPEs often requires advanced emulsifying agents.
• Protein-polysaccharide conjugates offer tunable properties for emulsion stabilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel protein-anionic polysaccharide Maillard conjugates.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these conjugates as stabilizers for O/W HIPEs.
• To investigate the impact of conjugation on emulsion microstructure, droplet size, and stability.

Main Methods:

• Maillard conjugation of soy protein isolate (SPI) or sodium caseinate (SC) with Alyssum homolocarpum seed gum (AHSG) or kappa-carrageenan (kC).
• Characterization of conjugates using UV spectrophotometry, FTIR, CD, fluorescence spectroscopy, and DSC.
• Production and evaluation of HIPEs stabilized by the conjugates, assessing microstructure, droplet size, zeta potential, and physical stability.

Main Results:

• SC-AHSG conjugates showed the highest glycation degree and superior emulsifying properties.
• HIPEs stabilized by SC-AHSG conjugates exhibited the smallest mean droplet size (363.07 ± 34.56 nm) and monomodal distribution.
• These HIPEs demonstrated high storage stability, resistance to creaming and oiling-off, and excellent stability against environmental stresses, evidenced by a high zeta potential (-27.70 ± 0.70 mV).

Conclusions:

• Protein-anionic polysaccharide Maillard conjugates, particularly SC-AHSG, are effective stabilizers for O/W HIPEs.
• The developed HIPEs possess desirable characteristics for advanced food applications.
• This research provides insights for designing functional emulsion-based food systems.