Food Hydrocolloids最新文献

{"title":"Regulating starch film hydrophobicity by controlling palmitic acid-monoglyceride interactions: Impact of monoglyceride structure","authors":"Jingxuan Wang ,&nbsp;David Julian McClements ,&nbsp;Qing Wang ,&nbsp;Arif Rashid ,&nbsp;Shan Gao ,&nbsp;Hanxue Hou ,&nbsp;Wentao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111931","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111931","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the impact of monoglycerides (GMC, GMS, and GMO) on the structural and functional properties of starch-palmitic acid (PA) films, focusing on how their molecular structures influence films performance. Microstructural characterization showed that GMC and GMS promoted spherical PA crystals, while GMO induced wrinkle-like structures. The PA/GMS-5 film exhibited the lowest water vapor permeability, which was attributed to the presence of finely dispersed spherulites, whereas the PA/GMO-7.5 film displayed the highest hydrophobicity (contact angle: 99.61°), which was attributed to the formation of surface-localized lipid layers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed that GMO enhanced the enrichment of alkyl groups and reduced crystallinity (10.44 %), and scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that GMS improved emulsification, with 83 % of PA particles smaller than 5 μm. Low frequency-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that 2.5 % (<em>w/w</em>) monoglyceride significantly enhanced the retention of bound water, whereas higher levels increased water mobility. Rheological tests further indicated that increasing monoglyceride content reduced the stability of the polymer network, thereby weakening the ability of the matrix to restrict water movement. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that GMO strengthened electrostatic and van der Waals interactions between starch and PA, restricting starch mobility (diffusion coefficient: 0.19 nm²/ns), while enhancing PA diffusion (1.52 nm²/ns). In addition, PA/GMO-2.5 film exhibited highest tensile strength, while GMO also improved ultraviolet light shielding. These results underscore how monoglyceride structure, chain length, saturation, and hydroxyl distribution, control film properties, enabling precise adjustment of barrier, mechanical, and surface characteristics for advanced packaging applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111931"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Arabinoxylan-gluten hydrogels with tunable rheological properties via enzymatic oxidation and regeneration","authors":"Niklas Wahlström ,&nbsp;Marjorie Ladd Parada ,&nbsp;Secil Yilmaz-Turan ,&nbsp;Pramod Sivan ,&nbsp;Mikael S. Hedenqvist ,&nbsp;Francisco Vilaplana","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111930","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111930","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Side streams from wheat processing, such as the bran and gluten fractions, show great potential as a feedstock for the production of novel food ingredients and materials. In this study, we prepared hybrid polysaccharide-protein hydrogels via enzymatic crosslinking of wheat bran arabinoxylan and gluten fractions. Arabinoxylan was first isolated from wheat bran via subcritical water extraction, which preserved the covalently bound ferulic acid moieties to the arabinoxylan core amenable for laccase crosslinking. Gluten was fractionated into its main protein components (glutenin and gliadin) via treatment with aqueous ethanol. Hydrogels with different contents of arabinoxylan and gluten were prepared, demonstrating the integration of the protein fractions within the polysaccharide gel network. Increased addition of gluten led to gradually softer hydrogels, suggesting that the gluten fractions were not involved in the covalent crosslinking with the ferulic acid moieties to any noticeable level. Freeze-drying and regeneration of the hydrogels led to a 3-fold–10-fold increase in the storage and loss moduli, depending on the sample. Analysis of the structure of the hydrogels revealed that the addition of gluten upon enzymatic crosslinking impacted the physical interactions and crystallinity of the arabinoxylan populations, resulting in phase separation of the protein and polysaccharide components. This study demonstrates that tunable hydrogels can be prepared from cereal side streams, with potential as functional plant-based food hydrocolloids with improved nutritional properties, combining dietary fibre and protein components.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111930"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of wheat starch and gluten protein interaction on fried flour products during processing","authors":"Mengyue Li ,&nbsp;Guifang Huang ,&nbsp;Hao Cheng ,&nbsp;David Julian McClements ,&nbsp;Jianwei Zhao ,&nbsp;Yun Ma ,&nbsp;Zhengyu Jin ,&nbsp;Long Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111933","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111933","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Deep-fried wheat products are widely favored by consumers for their appealing texture and golden color. However, their high oil absorption has raised health concerns. This study investigates the structural influence of fundamental food components (starch and gluten protein) in wheat-based dough from a compositional perspective. Gluten content significantly affects dough development and properties, thereby altering the quality of fried products. Understanding how gluten protein levels impact dough characteristics during processing is essential for industrial applications. Using composite flours with varying gluten protein contents (0%–20%, w/w), we examined dough property changes during mixing and resting stages, as well as the oil absorption characteristics of the resulting fried products. Results demonstrated that gluten incorporation markedly reduced starch paste viscosity (P &lt; 0.05), with 16% gluten content yielding optimal thermal stability (minimal weight loss). Interaction analysis revealed that starch-gluten binding primarily occurs through hydrogen bonds, while gluten network formation relies on disulfide cross-linking. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed increasing α-helix and β-sheet content with higher gluten ratios, indicating enhanced structural order. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) analysis confirmed gluten promotes water transition to bound states, reducing free water content. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observations demonstrated denser starch-protein networks at elevated gluten levels. Frying experiments revealed that 16% gluten content significantly reduced oil absorption by 27.70% (P &lt; 0.05) and limited oil penetration, consistent with decreased CLSM fluorescence intensity. These findings provide theoretical guidance for developing low-oil-absorption fried wheat products through gluten content optimization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111933"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Construction and application of controlled-release preservation pads based on Zein/sodium caseinate-stabilized oregano essential oil Pickering emulsions","authors":"Liu Yang ,&nbsp;Wenwen Chen ,&nbsp;Xinyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Rui Xiao ,&nbsp;Xue Ding ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Jing ,&nbsp;Hongyuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111925","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111925","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zein/sodium caseinate (Z/SC) composite particles were employed as stabilizers to prepare oregano essential oil Pickering emulsions (OPEs), which were subsequently coated onto non-woven fabrics to fabricate controlled-release preservation pads for blueberry storage. Compared to single-protein particles, the Z/SC composite particles exhibited enhanced stability, particularly at a Zein-to-SC mass ratio of 1:1. Intermolecular interactions, including hydrogen bonding, electrostatic forces, and hydrophobic interactions, were identified between Zein and SC. The composite particles demonstrated favorable thermal stability, wettability, and emulsifying performance. OPEs stabilized by composite particles showed superior stability over those stabilized by individual proteins. Among them, the emulsion with 10 % OEO addition (OPEs-4) exhibited fine and uniform droplet size, stable zeta potential, and high encapsulation efficiency. Under varying storage durations, pH levels, temperatures, and centrifugation speeds, OPEs-4 displayed the smallest fluctuations in droplet size and zeta potential. Protease secreted by <em>Aspergillus niger</em>, the fungus responsible for blueberry decay, effectively triggered the release of OEO from the Pickering emulsion. The developed preservation pads formed a gel network structure with OPEs uniformly distributed across the fiber surfaces. After 15 days of storage at 4 °C, the preservation pads delayed changes in blueberry weight loss, firmness, <em>L∗</em> and <em>b∗</em> values, titratable acidity, and moisture migration, extending the shelf life by 6 days compared to the control group. Simulated transport vibration exerted negligible effects on blueberry quality. This study proposes a novel strategy for designing stimuli-responsive active packaging based on extracellular enzymes secreted by pathogenic microorganisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111925"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Controlled oral destabilization of food emulsions for sequential aroma release and profiled flavour perception","authors":"Weina Meng ,&nbsp;Jianshe Chen ,&nbsp;Kun Yang ,&nbsp;Yang Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111929","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111929","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emulsion technology is widely used in the food industry for flavour delivery, particularly for fat-based aromas. However, conventional emulsions often provide a monotonous release profile. We hypothesized that by using emulsifiers with different salivary sensitivities, controlled oral destabilization could be achieved, leading to sequential aroma release and profiled flavour perception. To test this, emulsions stabilized by modified starch (Hi-CAP 100, HCP) or whey protein isolate (WPI) were loaded with isoamyl acetate or D-limonene, respectively. The emulsions were characterized by microstructure, rheology, and stability under simulated oral conditions. <em>In vitro</em> oral simulation combined with headspace analysis and time-intensity sensory evaluation were performed. Results showed that HCP emulsions exhibited significantly higher salivary sensitivity, with a 28.6 % increase in oil release compared to WPI (p &lt; 0.05). The aroma release of the emulsions observed through headspace analysis showed a consistent trend with the oil release behavior. In mixed emulsions (1:1 v/v), isoamyl acetate was perceived predominantly in the early phase of oral processing, whereas D-limonene dominated later. This study confirms that selective emulsifiers can enable temporally patterned flavour release in emulsion-based foods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111929"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145026960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation and characterization of gelatin/bacterial nanofibrillated cellulose composite membranes based on an ecological engineering strategy","authors":"Fengge Yu ,&nbsp;Jieying Fan ,&nbsp;Jialin Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiangying Liu ,&nbsp;Yue Meng ,&nbsp;Yanping Chi ,&nbsp;Zhiqiang Yang ,&nbsp;Caiming Li ,&nbsp;Hongrui Sun ,&nbsp;Hua Zhang ,&nbsp;Lining Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111928","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111928","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, gelatin-based nanocomposite films were developed as environmentally friendly materials, reinforced with bacterial nanofibrillated cellulose (BNFC). BNFC was obtained via high-pressure homogenization of bacterial cellulose (BC) films produced by <em>Komagataeibacter saccharivorans</em> LYJG-1 (NCBI accession PV660484), a strain isolated from Kombucha. The effects of varying BNFC concentrations (0, 3, 5, and 7 wt%) on the rheological, morphological, mechanical, physical, thermal, optical, and barrier properties of the gelatin films were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that BNFC incorporation not only enhanced the shear-thinning behavior of the film-forming solution but also facilitated the formation of a uniform, densely packed film structure. Hydrogen bonding interactions between BNFC and gelatin played a key role in improving overall film performance. Notably, at 5 wt% BNFC, tensile strength (TS) increased by 107 %, elongation at break (EAB) by 91 %, and water vapor transmission rate decreased by 46.3 %. This work highlights a sustainable strategy for food packaging by integrating microbial biosynthesis with green processing technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111928"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ca(OH)2 induced modification of curdlan via helical disruption and ionic crosslinking enhances the freeze-thaw stability of whole black rice flour-based boba","authors":"Xinyi Li ,&nbsp;Liya Niu ,&nbsp;Jiaqian Shu ,&nbsp;Yixuan Luo ,&nbsp;Jin Tu ,&nbsp;Cailin Kong ,&nbsp;Jianhui Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111924","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111924","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Curdlan (CUD), a novel food hydrocolloid with thermo-irreversible gelation properties, has limited application in frozen starch-based foods due to its poor solubility in water. To broaden its functional applicability, this study evaluated the effects of four alkaline aqueous solutions (NaOH, Ca(OH)₂, Na₂CO₃, and NaHCO₃) on the dispersibility, solubility, conformational features and thermal gelation properties of CUD using macroscope, particle size, transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, zeta potential and nuclear magnetic resonance. Subsequently, optimal alkali-modified CUD was applied to frozen whole black rice flour-based boba (F-WBRF-boba), with its freeze-thaw (FT) stability assessed through low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, magnetic resonance imaging, and texture analysis. Results demonstrated that Ca(OH)₂ (0.050 %∼0.100 %) uniquely improved CUD's solubility and gelation capacity by partially disrupting its rigid triple-helix structure, while Ca²⁺ ions effectively cross-linked exposed hydroxyl groups, enhancing structural robustness and stability. Furthermore, the incorporation of Ca(OH)₂-modified CUD notably mitigated the deterioration of F-WBRF-boba during nine FT cycles, significantly enhancing hardness, chewiness, and springiness, inhibiting the water migration and reducing 14.93 % freezable water content and lowering the soaking loss rate by 83.33 %. These findings highlight Ca(OH)₂ modification as an effective strategy for enhancing the functional performance of CUD, offering novel insights into improving the quality and FT stability of frozen starch-based products in the food industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111924"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oleogels produced using single cell oils from the oleaginous yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrima as potential fat replacers","authors":"Dhaneesha Sivadas ,&nbsp;Sajad Shokri ,&nbsp;Andrea Cattaruzza ,&nbsp;Christopher J. Chuck","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111921","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111921","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The demand for sustainable, healthier alternatives to conventional fats has intensified interest in single-cell oils (SCOs) from oleaginous yeasts. This study explores the development of a novel oleogel using SCO derived from <em>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</em>, an oleaginous yeast with high lipid accumulation potential. The extracted yeast oil, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (64.3 % oleic acid), was structured into oleogels using candelilla wax, rice bran wax, and ethyl cellulose as gelators. The resulting oleogels were evaluated for their oil binding capacity, microstructure, thermal behavior, and rheological properties. Candelilla wax-based oleogels showed the highest oil binding capacity (OBC &gt;99 %) and stronger gel networks. At concentrations ≥5 % ethyl cellulose formed stable gels with tunable viscoelasticity depending on concentration, with lower OBC for rapeseed oil formulations compared to yeast oil formulations. Candelilla wax oleogels formed small, uniform globular fat structures, while rice bran wax oleogels exhibited long, needle-like or dendritic crystals; ethyl cellulose oleogels, however, lacked distinct crystalline structures, showing only bright, birefringent spots under the microscope. FT-IR confirmed that gelation occurred through physical interactions without chemical modification. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the oleogels possessed suitable thermal stability for food applications. These findings demonstrate the potential of <em>M. pulcherrima</em> SCO-based oleogels as functional, sustainable fat replacers in food systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111921"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144933217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differences in the properties and structures of gelatin prepared by drying below and above the gelation temperature and their inspiration for the development of room-temperature soluble gelatin","authors":"Cheng Tang ,&nbsp;Yujuan Xu ,&nbsp;Yong Xie ,&nbsp;Xing Liu ,&nbsp;Mengya Li ,&nbsp;Ying Qian ,&nbsp;Zhaoming Wang ,&nbsp;Hui Zhou ,&nbsp;Kezhou Cai ,&nbsp;Baocai Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111919","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111919","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of room-temperature soluble gelatin remains challenging due a limited understanding of gelatin's structural evolution during drying. This study investigates the effect of drying temperature on the structure and solubility of type A gelatin, focusing on its drying behavior, physical properties, molecular characteristics, and structural features. Gelatin samples (G25, G45, G65, G85, and G105) were prepared by drying type A gelatin solutions at temperatures both below (25 °C) and above (45, 65, 85, or 105 °C) the gelation temperature. Results showed that increasing the drying temperature marginally improved water solubility at room temperature (from ∼3.4 % to ∼9.1 %) by promoting molecular degradation, increasing zeta potential (from −6.9 mV to −10.3 mV), and reducing particle size (from ∼91.8 nm to ∼59.7 nm). However, drying above 45 °C led to a significant decline in Bloom strength (from ∼294.2 g to ∼195.9 g) and induced undesirable color changes. Structural analysis revealed that G25 contained both crystalline triple-helix bundles and amorphous aggregates, while gelatin dried above the gelation temperature was fully amorphous but structurally inhomogeneous. Molecular conformations in G25 showed higher proportions of α-helices and β-turns, whereas gelatin dried at higher temperatures displayed enhanced molecular ordering with antiparallel β-sheets and hydrogen bonds, driven by intensified hydrophobic interactions. Despite these structural differences, all samples exhibited limited solubility at room temperature due to aggregation during gelation and solvent evaporation. These results challenge the assumption that an amorphous structure alone ensures gelatin dissolution at room temperature, emphasizing the importance of suppressing crystallization and promoting molecular dispersion within the amorphous phase during drying.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111919"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144933278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lubrication and delubrication behaviour of micron-sized whey protein microgels","authors":"Qi Wang ,&nbsp;Siavash Soltanahmadi ,&nbsp;Jianshe Chen ,&nbsp;Anwesha Sarkar","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to understand the tribological properties of whey protein microgels (WPM) by varying their sizes in the micron-scale and deformability. To decipher the lubrication mechanisms of WPM dispersions (3–48 vol %), we explored two tribological systems <em>i.e.</em> conventional smooth substrate and novel biomimetic tongue-like surfaces. We fabricated relatively <em>hard</em> WPM (G’ ≈ 350 kPa) of three distinct sizes (D_4,3 ≈ 1–50 μm) and <em>soft</em> WPM (G’ ≈ 85 kPa, D_4,3 ≈ 50 μm) using water-in-oil emulsion templating. On smooth surfaces, dispersions of <em>soft</em> WPM delivered good lubrication in boundary and mixed regimes across the studied volume fractions (3–48 vol %), which was attributed to deformation-induced entrapment of WPM and the resulting surface separation. In contrast, <em>hard</em> WPM appeared to be entrapped between the contacting surfaces when their size was comparable to the theoretically derived film thickness (<em>e.g.</em> 1 μm). The incorporation of 1 μm <em>hard</em> WPM caused delubrication, which can be attributed to increased proportion of surface asperities disrupting the aqueous lubrication. In a simulated tongue-palate interface (biomimetic tongue), microgel participation through the collision between WPM and the tongue-like papillated structure was found to be largely delubricating irrespective of size in the micron-scale, which we postulate can be caused by jamming of microgel particles and/or even deformation of the papillae-like features by WPM. Our findings demonstrate that <em>hard</em>, micron-sized WPM exhibit delubrication when relatively soft tongue-like surfaces are employed. These insights can inspire development of food products where an interplay between size and deformability of semi-solid particles is key to modulate mouthfeel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111908"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}