RuBisCO Protein as an Antioxidant Emulsifier: Influence of Flavourzyme Enzymatic Modification on Oxidative Stability of Flaxseed Oil-in-Water Emulsion

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis of the RuBisCO protein (RBS) on its dual antioxidant and emulsifying properties in flaxseed oil-in-water emulsions. The peroxide, para-anisidine, and total oxidation values demonstrated that RBS and Flavourzyme-hydrolyzed RBS (H-RBS) effectively reduced the lipid oxidation rate during the initial accelerated storage days (days 0–4). RBS exhibited superior ability in maintaining a consistent lipid oxidation rate inhibition during the last storage days (days 10–14). Dynamic light scattering revealed an increase in particle size for RBS and H-RBS emulsions, which further stabilized over days 7–14. Despite the high negative ζ-potential, the emulsions had a high polydispersity index (PDI), suggesting interactions with cationic oxidation products at the oil–water interface, contributing to emulsion destabilization. The findings provide valuable insight into the potential application of the dual antioxidant and emulsifying roles of RuBisCO as a sustainable protein for various purposes in food product development.