Formulation and characterisation of O/W emulsions stabilised with modified seaweed polysaccharides

In this study, seaweed polysaccharides (alginate and carrageenan) were modified with dodecenylsuccinic anhydride (DSA), and their stabilising properties in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion system were evaluated. The physicochemical characteristics were determined by droplet size, interfacial tension and ζ-potential and structurally verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Both CRG-DSA and ALG-DSA applied in O/W emulsion system exhibited smaller droplet sizes over the increasing concentration and were more stable during storage than native ones. The ζ-potential of DSA-modified seaweed polysaccharides has more negative charge compared with their native forms, owing to the additional carboxyl groups from modification reaction. In addition, DSA-modified seaweed polysaccharides decreased the interfacial tension at soybean oil–water interface from 23.1 and 23.9 mN m⁻¹ to 14.2 and 13.6 mN m⁻¹, respectively. The successful modification reaction was confirmed by FTIR analysis. This study demonstrated that DSA-modified seaweed polysaccharides may serve as prospective emulsifiers in food, pharmaceutical and other industrial fields.     

Potential of bagasse obtained using hydrothermal liquefaction pre-treatment as a natural emulsifier

Bagasse, a by-product from raw sugar factories, is conventionally burned for energy production. In this study, bagasse extracts from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) treatment (160 °C, 1 MPa and 30 min) with a carbohydrate content of 510.3 mg g⁻¹ and 0.5 mg g⁻¹ of total phenols were applied as emulsifiers in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. Bagasse extracts from HTL (0.5–4 wt%) lowered the interfacial tension between oil–water interphase from 19.8 to 14.0 mN m⁻¹, owing possibly to the surface-active hydrophilic carbohydrate-hydrophobic lignin complexes in the extracts (lignin content: 7.1% w/w). Emulsions stabilised by bagasse extracts from HTL with average droplet size, d_av of 0.79 μm were comparable with gum arabic (GA), d_av of 2.24 μm after 11 days at 25 °C. Bagasse extracts containing biopolymers have the potential for industrial applications involving emulsion systems; therefore, HTL treatment of bagasse without any solvents can be regarded as an effective tool for producing natural emulsifiers.