What is it about?
In this study, we report the processing of highly stable plant-based Pickering emulsions of sunflower oil with thickened cream morphology using optimally modified oat flour and faba bean protein isolate (2,3, and 4% w/w) as a binary mixture. The emulsifying properties of oat flour (OF) and faba bean protein (FB) were compared in the study.
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Why is it important?
Pickering emulsions (PEs) stabilised by colloid solid particles are a promising sustainable alternative to surfactant-based ones. Binary mixtures of particles with different functional characteristics can be used to design novel PEs with enhanced properties and stability. In particular, binary mixtures of differently charged particles are a powerful way to control the droplet size, coverage, and particle loading in the emulsions. The colloid particles were prepared with a slight pH treatment and analysed for protein solubility, surface charge and emulsifying properties. Meanwhile, the plant-based Pickering cream (PPCs) were prepared with single particles (as control) and binary mixtures and characterised for particle size, microstructure, flow behaviour and storage stability. OF showed a zeta potential of -33.28 mV at pH 10.0, indicating good physical colloidal stability due to sufficient repulsive forces. In contrast, FB exhibited a zeta potential of 28.14 mV at pH 3.0, promoting protein hydration and high interfacial charges .
Perspectives
The PPCs prepared with a binary system exhibited exceptional attributes, including uniform and small droplet sizes ranging from 14.00 to 20.57 μm, thick consistency and smooth shear thinning behaviour. The synergistic influence of faba bean with oat flour on emulsion formation and stabilisation was found through microstructural analysis. These findings provide strong evidence for engineering highly stable plant-based PEs without the use of supplementary emulsifiers for designing sustainable and clean-label non-dairy. Proteins play a crucial role in stabilizing emulsions at the oil-water interface. Some key points: Protein solubility and emulsifying properties: Proteins that are more soluble in the continuous phase can better migrate to the oil-water interface during emulsification, leading to the formation of smaller emulsion droplets. This is because the soluble proteins can adsorb at the interface and lower the interfacial tension. The article states that the pH dependence of oat flour (OF) and faba bean protein (FB) solubility was investigated by dispersing them separately at different pH conditions. Specifically, the study looked at: pH 10 for oat flour (OF') and pH 3 for faba bean protein (FB') as these conditions were found to disperse the particles very well.
Dr Pratheep K Annamalai
University of Queensland
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Engineering plant-based Pickering emulsions as highly stable dairy cream alternatives using a binary mixture of particle stabilisers, Food Hydrocolloids, February 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2024.110604.
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