Food-grade rapeseed cake particles: Production, physicochemical characteristics, and emulsifying properties

Rapeseed cake is rich in dietary fibers and proteins, but is predominantly used as fertilizer, with limited utilization in other applications. This study aimed to develop a food-grade holo-cellulose rapeseed cake fibrous particles stabilizer using hush pre-treatment (sequential alkali-acid, and heat), followed by ultrasonic cavitation (USC) or high-pressure microjet (HPM) processing. The pretreatment improved particle suspension stability (ζ-potential: -1.9 ± 1.5 mV to -42.5 ± 2.0 mV) and hydrophobicity (contact angle: 59.6 ± 1.9° to 81.3 ± 2.2°), endowing the particles with excellent emulsifying properties. Subsequent USC and HPM treatments decreased particle size and improved suspension stability further. The treated particles showed an octopus-like entangled enabling stable anchoring at the interface of oil and water. These particles formed a rigid network, contributing to the formation of robust emulsion gels. This study provides a feasible strategy for the advanced processing of rapeseed cake, expanding its potential applications in gel-based food industry and, promoting its high-value applications.