The dispersibility of biphasic stabilized oil-in-water emulsions improved by the interaction between curdlan and soy protein isolate
Fuying Wang, Jianpeng Li, Yuxiao Wang, Han Liu, Bin Yu, Haibo Zhao, Rentang Zhang, Haiteng Tao, Xin Ren, Bo Cui
Abstract
Curdlan, a natural polysaccharide, exhibits emulsion-stabilizing and viscosity-modifying properties. However, when employed solely in the aqueous phase, curdlan's adhesive nature impedes droplet dispersion, resulting in a gel-like structure with limited applicability. This investigation formulated a biphasic stabilized oil-in-water emulsion by supplementing the oil phase with beeswax and the aqueous phase with curdlan and soy protein isolate (SPI). The addition of SPI transformed the structural characteristics from a gel-like to a mayonnaise-like structure. Maximal electrostatic repulsion was observed at an internal phase volume fraction of 30%, effectively precluding droplet aggregation owing to the absolute zeta potentials surpassing 40 mV. The emulsions displayed shear-thinning rheological behavior, with a higher storage modulus than the loss modulus, indicative of favorable elastic properties. Molecular docking revealed the predominant role of polar amino acids in facilitating hydrogen bond formation. This study provides a template for developing emulsions with biphasic stability and desirable dispersibility.