Modifications in stability and structure of whey protein-coated o/w emulsions by interacting chitosan and gum arabic mixed dispersions

The influence of chitosan and gum arabic mixtures on the behaviour of o/w emulsions has been investigated at pH = 3.0. The emulsion behaviour, properties and microstructure were found to be greatly dependent on the precise gum arabic to chitosan ratio. Mixing of gum arabic with chitosan leads to the formation of coacervates of a size dependent on their ratio. Incorporation of low gum arabic to chitosan weight ratios into whey protein-coated emulsions causes depletion flocculation and gravity-induced phase separation. Increasing the polysaccharide weight ratio further, a droplet network with a rather high viscosity (at low shear stress) is generated, which prevents or even inhibits phase separation. At even higher gum arabic to chitosan ratios, the emulsion droplets were immobilised into clusters of an insoluble ternary matrix. Although the emulsion droplet charge had the same sign as that of the coacervates, clusters of oil droplets in a ternary matrix were generated. A mechanism to explain the behaviour of the whey protein-stabilised o/w emulsions is described on the basis of confocal and phase contrast microscopic observations, rheological data, zeta potential measurements, particle size analysis and visual assessment of the macroscopic phase separation events.