Combination of carrageenan with sodium alginate, gum arabic, and locust bean gum: Effects on rheological properties and quiescent stabilities of partially crystalline emulsions

Abstract

In the present study, carrageenan (CG) was combined with sodium alginate (SA), gum arabic (GA), and locust bean gum (LBG) to obtain four gum combinations (CG, CG + SA, CG + GA, and CG + LBG). The effects of different combinations on rheological properties and quiescent stabilities of PCEs were systematically investigated through characterization of fresh emulsion related parameters (rheological properties, forces between proteins, zeta potentials, surface tensions, interfacial adsorption properties, and multiple light scattering) and storage related parameters (visual appearance, creaming index, viscosities, particle sizes, and microscopic morphology). Rheological results indicated that CG PCEs had the highest apparent viscosities of 7.77–41.91 Pa·s at 0.01 s−1, followed by CG + SA PCEs (2.35–30.62 Pa·s), CG + GA PCEs (2.37–21.16 Pa·s), and CG + LBG PCEs (2.06–19.93 Pa·s). At low thickener concentration (0.02 %), CG PCE exhibited weak gel structure due to higher G′ than G″ at all frequencies, while CG + SA, CG + GA, and CG + LBG PCEs had entangled network due to intersection between G′ and G″. After three months of storage, CG + SA PCEs showed the lowest creaming index values (11.47–17.75 %), which were significantly lower than CG PCEs (15.35–20.85 %), CG + GA PCEs (15.97–24.42 %), and CG + LBG PCEs (17.13–21.71 %). Meanwhile, all the samples except for 0.02 % CG + SA PCE completely lost fluidity, and their viscosities were above 14,000 mPa·s. It was further found that CG stabilized emulsions showed severe droplet flocculation induced by hydrophobic interactions among adsorbed proteins. Combination of CG with SA, GA, and LBG, especially CG + SA, formed strong network structure and reduced contribution of hydrophobic interactions, which effectively inhibited flocculation of fat droplets, thereby improving rheological properties and storage stabilities of PCEs.