Stabilizing oil-in-water emulsion with amorphous cellulose

• Published in: Food hydrocolloids Vol. 43; pp. 275 - 282
• Main Authors: Jia, Xuejuan, Xu, Ranran, Shen, Wei, Xie, Mengxia, Abid, Muhammad, Jabbar, Saqib, Wang, Peng, Zeng, Xiaoxiong, Wu, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2015
• Subjects: Amorphous cellulose; Attractive emulsion; Cellulose; Droplets; Emulsion stabilization; Emulsions; Fluorescence; Foods; Gel; Microscopy; Phosphoric acid; Shear-thinning; Stabilization; Surface chemistry; Emulsion stabilization; Attractive emulsion; Phosphoric acid; Amorphous cellulose; Shear-thinning; Gel
• ISSN: 0268-005X; 1873-7137
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2014.05.024

Non-derivative cellulose is usually not considered an amphiphilic biopolymer with emulsion stabilization ability. In this study, we have demonstrated, using a dissolution and regeneration process, that the obtained non-derivative amorphous cellulose can effectively stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. Freshly prepared emulsions with cellulose contents of 0.07–0.56% are not stable against creaming. After increasing the cellulose content to 0.83%, the emulsions remain completely stable for months. All previously gravitationally unstable liquid-like emulsions were transformed into stable gel-like emulsions and persisted in this form during storage. Optical and fluorescence microscopy demonstrated the adsorption of cellulose on the surface of oil droplets. Rheology study indicates that the resulting emulsions are attractive emulsions with typical shear-thinning gel characteristics. The underlying emulsion stabilization mechanism is a combination of Pickering and network mechanisms. The findings of this research explore a more practical way of utilizing non-derivative cellulose in the food industry as a novel food ingredient.
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•Phosphoric acid is used as a solvent to prepare amorphous cellulose.•The prepared amorphous cellulose is capable of stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions.•Adsorption of cellulose on the surface of oil droplets is observed.•The stabilization mechanism is a combination of Pickering and network mechanisms.•The emulsion is gel-like with attractive interaction between droplets.