Elucidation of stabilizing oil-in-water Pickering emulsion with different modified maize starch-based nanoparticles

- Food grade O/W Pickering emulsions stabilized by different modified starch-based nanoparticles were prepared.
- Rheological behaviour and microstructure of O/W emulsions were investigated.
- Starch-based nanoparticles were adsorbed at O/W interface to form a barrier film.
- OSA-SSNP could be used as a novel particle stabilizer for improving food emulsion quality.

The aim of present study was to study the medium-chain triacylglycerol-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion stabilized using different modified starch-based nanoparticles (octenylsuccinylation treated soluble starch nanoparticle, OSA-SSNP, and insoluble starch nanoparticle, ISNP). The major factors for affecting the system stability, rheological behaviour and microstructure of the emulsions were also investigated. The parameters of the O/W emulsions stabilized by OSA-SSNP or ISNP were selected as follows: 3.0% of starch nanoparticles concentration, 50% of MCT fraction and 7.0 of system pH. The rheological properties indicated that both emulsions displayed shear-thinning behaviour as a non-Newtonian fluid. For OSA-SSNP, the viscosities of the emulsion were higher than those of ISNP throughout shear rate range for the same condition. The plot of droplet size distribution for emulsion stabilized OSA-SSNP appeared as a single narrow peak, whereas a broader droplet size distribution with bimodal pattern was observed for emulsion stabilized ISNP. The microscopy results showed that both OSA-SSNP and ISNP were adsorbed at oil-water interface to form a barrier film and retard the phase separation. When emulsion was stored for 30 d, no phase separation was detected for O/W emulsion, revealing high stability of emulsion stabilized by both OSA-SSNP and ISNP.