Improvement of physicochemical stabilities of emulsions containing oil droplets coated by non-globular protein-beet pectin complex membranes

The potential of beet pectin for improving the physical and chemical stabilities of emulsions containing silk fibroin coated droplets was investigated. Five wt.% corn oil-in-water emulsions containing fibroin-coated droplets (0.5 wt.% fibroin) and anionic pectin (0.05 wt.%) were prepared at pH 7. The pH of these emulsions was then adjusted to pH 4, so that the anionic pectin molecules electrostatically deposited to the fibroin-coated droplets. The influence of pH (3 to 7) and sodium chloride concentrations (0 to 500 mM) on the properties of primary (0 wt.% pectin) and secondary (0.05 wt.% pectin) emulsions was studied. Pectin was deposited to the droplet surfaces at pH 3, 4, and 5, but not at pH 6 and 7. In addition, secondary emulsions were stable up to higher ionic strengths (< 500 mM) than primary emulsions (< 200 mM). The addition of beet pectin also prolonged the lag phase of lipid oxidation in the emulsions as determined by the formation of lipid hydroperoxides and headspace hexanal. The controlled electrostatic deposition method utilized in this study could be used to extend the range of application of silk fibroin in the industry.