In situ enzymatic cyclodextrin generation enhances hot oat-milk foamability and stability

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biotechnology
• Colloid and Surface Science

Background:

• Oat milk's popularity is limited by poor foaming, especially with "clean-label" demands restricting additives.
• Enzymatic strategies offer a promising alternative for improving food functionalities without synthetic ingredients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate an enzymatic in situ method for generating cyclodextrins (CDs) in oat milk to enhance foaming.
• To evaluate the impact of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGT) and α-amylase (AA) ratios on oat milk foamability.

Main Methods:

• Enzymatic treatment of oat milk using cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGT) and α-amylase (AA) at varying ratios.
• Analysis of foamability, dynamic surface tension, and interfacial properties using techniques like size-exclusion chromatography and dynamic foam analysis.

Main Results:

• A strong correlation (R² = 0.92) was observed between total CD content and foamability.
• Enzyme-treated oat milk exhibited reduced surface tension and improved foam stability, doubling foam half-life (600s vs. 300s).
• In situ CD generation was linked to lipid-associated changes and improved hot oat milk foaming.

Conclusions:

• Enzymatic in situ cyclodextrin generation is an effective clean-label strategy to improve oat milk foaming.
• This method enhances foam stability and texture by altering interfacial and lipid behaviors.
• The approach maintains a desirable label-friendly formulation for oat milk products.