Subcritical Water Extracted Canola Peptides as Sustainable Emulsifiers: Enhancing Emulsion Stability via Chitosan-Assisted Bilayer Interfaces
摘要
The present study investigates the emulsification and emulsion stabilization properties of hydrolyzed canola proteins (HCPs). The HCPs were extracted from canola meal using subcritical water by varying extraction temperature (200–250 °C), time (20–30 min), and feed concentration (5–20 wt%), yielding eight different hydrolyzates with 2–14% degrees of hydrolysis (DH) and 4–12 mN/m interfacial tension (IFT). The HCPs (0.5 wt%) were used to develop 1 wt% oil-in-water emulsions using a high-pressure homogenizer. HCPs with lower IFT and higher DH exhibited the best emulsification characteristics, including the formation and retention of smaller oil droplets with reduced accelerated creaming velocities. However, all the emulsions prepared with HCPs showed significant destabilization within a week. To enhance stability, HCP-stabilized oil droplets were coated with a secondary layer of oppositely charged chitosan. The resulting bilayer emulsions prepared at pH 4–6 exhibited superior stability, characterized by retention of small droplets over 30-day storage, lower accelerated creaming velocity, and improved interfacial viscoelasticity. These enhancements were attributed to strong electrostatic interactions between HCP and chitosan, promoting robust interfacial film formation. In contrast, bilayer emulsions prepared at pH 7 destabilized rapidly due to weak electrostatic interactions between HCP and chitosan. These findings highlight the importance of a secondary layer to improve the stability of hydrolyzed protein-based emulsions and the critical role of pH in modulating the biopolymer interactions at the oil droplet interface. The HCPs can therefore be used as a plant-based emulsifier in conjunction with a suitable biopolymer in various foods, beverages, and related applications.