Novel Pickering emulsions stabilized by food-grade particles have gained increasing research attention in food and pharmaceutical industries due to the combined advantages of biocompatibility and superior stability against coalescence. The present work was to introduce a fully natural Pickering-stabilizer based on kafirin protein form sorghum. Spherical kafirin nanoparticles with water over oil wetting preference were formed by a liquid-liquid dispersion method. Direct and indirect evidences of absorption of kafirin particle aggregations at oil-water interface were collected through florescence microscopy and Cryo-SEM images. Expect for emulsions formed under low particle concentrations (0.25% and 0.5%) with oil volume fraction of 0.7, self-supported gel like emulsion with the stability index of 93-100% were formed. Microstructure, emulsion droplet size and rheological properties of Pickering emulsions as influenced by particle concentrations (0.25%-2% in water phase), vegetable oil volume fractions (0.3 - 0.5) and ionic strengths (10-50 mM) were investigated thoroughly. The results have pointed out the possibility of precisely tuning emulsion properties through a combined control over emulsification energy input, emulsion formulation and degree of particle coagulation. The elastic boundary film formed by kafirin particles contributes to the resistance effect against shear force or heat induced coalescence. This super-stable kafirin based Pickering emulsions are expected to have broad applications in industries of food and pharmaceutics.

Microstructure, rheological behavior, and stability of Pickering emulsion stabilized by kafirin nanoparticles

248th National Meeting (2014)

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