A Novel Pickering High Internal Phase Emulsion Gels Fabricated by Starch Nanocrystals and Bovine Serum Albumin Complexes

Abstract

In this study, novel high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) (φoil = 0.8) are successfully stabilized using 0.5% w/v starch nanocrystals (SNCs) and 0.05% w/v bull serum albumin (BSA) complex. For this purpose, the SNCs are made hydrophobic through modifications with different concentrations of BSA (0–0.5%) before being used for synthesizing stable HIPEs. The dispersion solutions show that composite particles are better at stabilizing emulsions when the BSA concentration is at least 0.05% w/v. Similarly, the inner gel texture in HIPEs can be easily formed using SNCs‐BSA complexes at mere concentration of 0.5% w/v and 0.05% w/v, respectively. The stability of emulsions increases with increasing BSA concentration. Besides, mixing the composite particles to yield HIPEs can also be applied in more complicated outer environments due to its excellent gel properties over a wider range of pH value. These show that a novel and stable Pickering high internal phase emulsion gel can be potentially formed by adjusting proportion of BSA coated in SNCs. The food‐grade and environmental‐friendly SNCs‐BSA composite particles are ideal for sustainable development around the world, and therefore, this study can provide insights into their applications for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, 3D printing, and other fields.