Rheological properties of foams generated from egg albumin after pH treatment

Rheological properties of foams at pH 4.5 and 8.5 made from egg albumin proteins after pH-induced unfolding and refolding treatments were investigated. The foams behaved as highly elastic materials. Static and dynamic yield stress was investigated using small, steady shear experiments. Yield stress was measured also in oscillation mode and high correlation was found between dynamic yield stress and critical stress amplitude. All pH treatments led to firmer foams than untreated foams at pH 8.5. At pH 8.5 the control foam had a very weak structure (static yield stress at 3.4 Pa and dynamic yield stress at 5.5 Pa for the fresh made foams), while pH-treated foams at pH 8.5 had values (static yield stress up to 39.2 Pa and dynamic yield stress up to 47.1 Pa for the fresh made foams) that were even higher than the values for the control at pH 4.5 (static yield stress at 22.4 Pa and dynamic yield stress at 25.4 Pa for the fresh made foams, which is a good foaming pH for egg albumin). It was shown that an increase in yield stress of foams after drainage is related to foam stability and liquid drainage. This study demonstrated that unfolding egg albumin at low or high pH followed by refolding leads to a substantial increase in foam firmness and gives the foam different properties than foams from untreated egg albumin.