Aggregation behaviour and stability of maize germ oil body suspension

To utilize maize germ oil bodies as ingredients in the food industry, zeta potential determination and particle diameter analysis were used in this study as indicators of the stability of maize germ oil body suspensions. The stability and aggregation properties of maize germ oil body suspensions were studied at different pH and ion strength conditions, and different thermal treatments. Zeta potential measurement, mean particle size determination, and confocal laser scanning microscopy were also performed. The zeta potential and mean particle diameter of the oil bodies were easily affected by salt (7.05 mV and d32 = 1.43 μm at 100 mM NaCl) and pH (23.30, 15.00, −16.43 mV and d32 = 1.02, 2.55, and 0.95 μm at pH 3, pH 4, and pH 7, respectively). Results demonstrated that aggregation and instability of the oil bodies were promoted by high salt concentrations and acidic pH but not by heating. The association between oil bodies and surfactant properties resulted in the disruption of hydrophobic interactions among oil body surface proteins because of the smaller mean particle sizes and the reduced negative charges (−75.73 mV and d32 = 0.46 μm at pH 3). Thus, the oil body aggregation behavior and stability of proteins are based on hydrophobic interactions present on the surface of the oil bodies.