Micellar Casein-Based Emulsion Gels: Characteristics and Property Regulation by Pectin/Chitosan Oligosaccharide.

IF 4.1 2区农林科学 Q2 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Journal of Food Science Pub Date : 2026-10-01 DOI:10.1111/1750-3841.71557

Wei Ji, Min Yang, Deqian Ke

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Emulsion gels are widely used in the food industry, yet precise control of their gelation and structural characteristics remains challenging. Micellar casein (MC) forms emulsion gels via shear-induced jamming transition, whereas its critical gelation rules and intermolecular mechanisms are unclear. This work established jamming gelation criteria for MC-based emulsion gels. Emulsion gels were fabricated by one-step homogenization at oil fractions of 0.65-0.75 with 1%-8% MC; stronger shear was needed at lower oil fractions. Gel-like structures formed across various MC concentrations, yet long-term stability strongly depended on concentration, and 5%-6% MC yielded uniform jammed droplet networks with optimal storage stability. Subsequently, negatively charged pectin (P) and positively charged chitosan oligosaccharide (CO) were utilized to tailor gel properties through opposite electrostatic interactions. Two preparation routes for emulsion gels were adopted: one-step homogenization after premixing P/CO with MC, and two-step homogenization where P/CO was incorporated into pre-formed MC-based gels. Both polysaccharides greatly enhanced the storage, pH and thermal stability of 4% MC gels, extending shelf life beyond 240 days. P-MC systems relied mainly on electrostatic repulsion and synergistic hydrogen bonding, whereas CO-MC gels were dominated by electrostatic attraction to thicken interfacial films and raise viscoelasticity. The one-step method suited MC-only and P-MC emulsion gels, whereas two-step preparation optimized CO-MC gel's microstructure and rheology. This study elucidates MC jamming gelation thresholds and two oppositely charged polysaccharides modulation mechanisms, offering references for designing high-performance food-grade emulsion gels. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The established jamming gelation criteria and electrostatic modulation by pectin or chitosan oligosaccharide can guide scalable production of micellar casein emulsion gels in food manufacturing. Selective use of the two polysaccharides together with matched preparation procedures enables tailored gel microstructure, rheology and environmental stability. This research provides feasible technical strategies for the development of high-stability and performance-tunable emulsion gels.

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胶束酪蛋白乳状凝胶：特性及果胶/壳聚糖对其性能的调控。

乳化凝胶广泛应用于食品工业，但其凝胶和结构特征的精确控制仍然具有挑战性。胶束酪蛋白（MC）通过剪切诱导的干扰跃迁形成乳状凝胶，但其关键凝胶化规律和分子间机制尚不清楚。本工作建立了mc基乳液凝胶的干扰胶凝标准。采用一步均质法，在0.65 ~ 0.75的油分、1% ~ 8%的MC条件下制备乳化凝胶；低含油馏分需要更强的剪切力。在不同的MC浓度下形成凝胶状结构，但长期稳定性强烈依赖于浓度，5%-6%的MC产生均匀的堵塞液滴网络，具有最佳的存储稳定性。随后，利用带负电荷的果胶(P)和带正电荷的壳聚糖（CO）通过相反的静电相互作用来定制凝胶性能。采用P/CO与MC预混合一步均质法和P/CO加入预成型的MC基凝胶两步均质法制备乳液凝胶。这两种多糖都大大提高了4% MC凝胶的储存、pH和热稳定性，将保质期延长到240天以上。P-MC凝胶主要依靠静电斥力和协同氢键作用，而CO-MC凝胶主要依靠静电吸引作用来增厚界面膜，提高粘弹性。一步法适用于MC-only和P-MC乳液凝胶，而两步法优化了CO-MC凝胶的微观结构和流变学。本研究阐明了MC干扰凝胶化阈值和两种相反电荷多糖的调节机制，为设计高性能食品级乳液凝胶提供参考。实际应用：所建立的干扰胶凝标准和果胶或壳聚糖的静电调制可以指导食品生产中胶束酪蛋白乳液凝胶的规模化生产。选择性地使用两种多糖加上匹配的制备程序，可以定制凝胶微观结构，流变性和环境稳定性。本研究为开发高稳定性、性能可调的乳液凝胶提供了可行的技术策略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Food Science 工程技术-食品科技

CiteScore

7.10

自引率

2.60%

发文量

412

审稿时长

3.1 months

期刊介绍： The goal of the Journal of Food Science is to offer scientists, researchers, and other food professionals the opportunity to share knowledge of scientific advancements in the myriad disciplines affecting their work, through a respected peer-reviewed publication. The Journal of Food Science serves as an international forum for vital research and developments in food science. The range of topics covered in the journal include: -Concise Reviews and Hypotheses in Food Science -New Horizons in Food Research -Integrated Food Science -Food Chemistry -Food Engineering, Materials Science, and Nanotechnology -Food Microbiology and Safety -Sensory and Consumer Sciences -Health, Nutrition, and Food -Toxicology and Chemical Food Safety The Journal of Food Science publishes peer-reviewed articles that cover all aspects of food science, including safety and nutrition. Reviews should be 15 to 50 typewritten pages (including tables, figures, and references), should provide in-depth coverage of a narrowly defined topic, and should embody careful evaluation (weaknesses, strengths, explanation of discrepancies in results among similar studies) of all pertinent studies, so that insightful interpretations and conclusions can be presented. Hypothesis papers are especially appropriate in pioneering areas of research or important areas that are afflicted by scientific controversy.