Stability of soy protein isolate-citrus pectin stabilized Pickering emulsion and its application in pound cake

The global trend toward low-fat diets is creating a critical need for efficient fat replacement technologies. This study explored the stabilization behavior of soybean protein isolate (SPI)-citrus pectin (CP) Pickering emulsions and their effectiveness as butter substitutes in pound cakes. The results indicated that emulsions with 5% particle concentration (c) and 50% oil phase volume fraction (ϕ) exhibited excellent storage, centrifugal, thermal, and lipid oxidation stability. It also demonstrated superior structural and rheological properties, effectively replicating the physical characteristics of butter. Moreover, replacing butter with SPI-CP Pickering emulsion significantly enhanced the quality of pound cakes, with a 40% substitution level proving optimal. At this ratio, the specific volume increased by 21.01%, while hardness and chewiness decreased by 57.48% and 52.43%, respectively. Meanwhile, a decrease in fat migration capacity was observed, along with increases in in vitro cholesterol adsorption capacity and sodium cholate adsorption capacity. Electronic nose analysis confirmed similar aroma profiles, and sensory evaluation yielded the highest scores, indicating that the SPI-CP-stabilized emulsion effectively maintained cake quality while serving as a butter alternative. This study offers valuable insights for developing low-fat foods and novel functional ingredients.