| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 604789 | Food Hydrocolloids | 2013 | 9 Pages |
•Emulsions stabilized by lactoferrin-based nano-particles (np) were produced.•Lactoferrin np reduced emulsion creaming without altering droplet sizes.•HP homogenization resulted in increased droplet sizes when using lactoferrin np.•Dietary fibers and np altered emulsion destabilization in artificial saliva.•Fibers delayed lactoferrin proteolysis and subsequent emulsion destabilization.
In recent years there has been a spur of interest in the utilization of nano and micro-particles to fabricate novel food-grade Pickering emulsions. Aligned with increased interest and efforts to promote health through food, this study aimed to extend the understanding of Pickering emulsions stabilized by lactoferrin (LF) nano-particles in respect to their stability and responsiveness to physiological conditions of the human mouth and stomach. Analytical centrifugation revealed that LF nano-particles did not alter mean droplet size of coarse emulsions but significantly (p < 0.05) reduced creaming rates by an order of magnitude. In fine emulsions produced through high pressure homogenization, the use of nano-particles increased mean droplet sizes. This resulted in noted (p < 0.05) differences in stability with emulsions stabilized by LF nano-particles and alginate showing poorest stability. Concomitantly, the use of i-carrageenan and LF nano-particles yielded emulsions with the most reduced creaming (<1 μm/s), even compared to emulsions stabilized by native LF. Interestingly, the use of alginate and i-carrageenan with LF nano-particles also altered emulsion stability to artificial saliva and modulated emulsion behavior under gastric conditions, which was linked to reduced rate of LF gastric proteolysis. Overall, this work establishes a new possibility to incorporate LF in emulsions and demonstrates how LF nano-particles could be harnessed to modulate emulsion destabilization and breakdown in the mouth and stomach.
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