Oil-in-water emulsions formulated with sunflower lecithins: Vesicle formation and stability

Oil-in-water emulsions (30∶70, vol/vol) were formulated with sunflower lecithin to characterize the destabilization processes and the vesicles formed. Dispersions containing levels of 0.1% lecithin were more stable against coalescence than the control system. When the lecithin concentration was increased to 0.5%, the presence of spherical structures, such as vesicles, was recorded that occluded the emulsion inside. Vesicles underwent a creaming process, and a narrow coalescence zone was detected in the upper layers of the samples. As the lecithin concentration was increased, more vesicles were formed, representing as much as 80% of the system volume. A reduction in the average size of vesicles was observed at high lecithin concentrations (2.5 and 5.0%). The vesicle size distribution changed as a function of lecithin concentration, decreasing the ratio of large to small particles in the same way. Coalescence took place in zones where large-volume vesicles were in contact in the upper portion of the tube sample. The results obtained suggest that sunflower lecithins present interesting emulsifying properties that may prove useful in food technology.