Effect of protein oxidation on the structure and emulsifying properties of fish gelatin

This study aimed to investigate the effect of oxidation on fish gelatin and its emulsifying properties. Fish gelatin was oxidized with varying concentrations of H₂O₂ (0-30 mM). Increased concentrations of the oxidant led to a decrease in amino acids in the gelatin, including glycine, lysine, and arginine. Additionally, the relative content of ordered secondary structure and triple helix fractions decreased. Zeta potential decreased, while particle size, surface hydrophobicity, and water contact angle increased. Regarding emulsifying behavior, oxidation promoted the adsorption of gelatin to the oil-water interface and reduced interfacial tension. With increased degrees of oxidation, the zeta potential and size of the emulsion droplets decreased. The oxidized gelatin exhibited better emulsifying activity but worse emulsifying stability. Based on these results, a mechanism for how oxidation affects the emulsifying properties of gelatin was proposed: the increase in gelatin's hydrophobicity and the decrease in triple helix structure induced by oxidation reduced the interfacial tension at the oil-water interface. This promoted protein adsorption at the oil-water interface, allowing the formation of smaller oil droplets and enhancing gelatin's emulsifying activity. However, the decrease in electrostatic repulsion between emulsion droplets and the decrease in solution viscosity increased the flocculation and aggregation of oil droplets, ultimately weakening the emulsifying stability of gelatin.