Stabilization of soybean oil body emulsions using κ, ι, λ-carrageenan at different pH values

Oil bodies, with their unique structural proteins, oleosins, are known to be useful in foods and other emulsion systems. The influence of κ, ι, and λ-carrageenans on the stability of soybean oil body emulsions at different pH values (pH 3, 4, 5 and 7) was investigated by particle electrical charge, particle size distribution, creaming stability and confocal laser scanning microscopy measurements. In acidic environment (pH 3, 4 and 5), the droplet charge of soybean oil body emulsions stabilized with carrageenan decreased with increasing carrageenan concentration for all types of carrageenan investigated, suggesting their adsorption to the oil body droplet surfaces. Extensive droplet aggregation and creaming were observed in the emulsions stabilized with λ-carrageenan at pH 3 and 5, indicating that soybean oil body droplets were bridged by carrageenan. At pH 7, there was no significant change in the droplet charge of soybean oil body emulsions stabilized with three types of carrageenan, but the emulsions stabilized with ι-carrageenan were more stable to creaming due to depletion flocculation than the emulsions stabilized with κ or λ-carrageenan after seven days storage. The probable reason was that ι-carrageenan, which had the most densely charged helical structure, was most effective at creating highly charged interfacial membranes, thus reducing the depletion flocculation to occur.