Myofibrillar protein and sunflower pectin complex for oil-in-water emulsion: Characteristics, interactions, and...

Protein-polysaccharide combinations that result in the formation of electrostatic complexes or coacervates have been the focus of extensive food studies. In this study, complexes based on myofibrillar protein and sunflower pectin with three degrees of esterification (78.46 %, 69.00 %, and 38.05 %) were formed and utilized as emulsifiers for the emulsion stabilization. These complexes can effectively stabilize emulsions by adsorbing at the oil-water interface, thereby forming a viscoelastic film that enhances emulsion stability. The SP1-MP and SP2-MP complexes possess robust interfacial strength, whereas the SP3-MP complex-formed film has relatively weaker interfacial strength. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulation results showed that the binding energies (from -8.98 kcal/mol to -7.56 kcal/mol) for the respective docking increased with increasing pectin degrees of esterification, whereas an average bond length (ranging from 2.85 Å to 2.92 Å) decreased with increasing pectin degrees of esterification. These findings provide significant insights into the design of polysaccharide-protein complex-based emulsions in the food industry.