Stabilization of food emulsion by polysaccharides and protein-polysaccharide complexes: a short review

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Emulsions are heterogeneous systems consisting of two immiscible liquids, widely used in the food industry as the basis for some products (mayonnaise, sauces, etc.) and components for the production of functional food products containing systems for targeted delivery of biologically active substances (vitamins, nutraceuticals, flavonoids, etc.). From a thermodynamic point of view, emulsions are unstable systems with excessive surface energy; therefore, they are characterized by rapid destruction through phase separation. For the solution to this problem, emulsifiers are used, amphiphilic molecules of various natures that reduce surface tension, i.e., possess surface activity. However, most of these stabilizers are synthetic and toxic products, which significantly limits their use in the food industry. Natural biopolymers, such as polysaccharides and proteins, as well as their complexes, are amphiphilic macromolecules that combine both polar and hydrophobic fragments, have surface-active properties, low toxicity and excellent biocompatibility, thus they can be considered as promising stabilizers for food emulsions. A special place among polysaccharides is occupied by chitosans and alginates, which, in addition to other advantages mentioned above, are accessible and cheap materials. The purpose of this work was a brief overview of the prospects for using chitosan, sodium alginate and protein-polysaccharide complexes as stabilizers for emulsions and foams for food application. The article discusses the possibility of using chitosan, sodium alginate, propylene glycol alginate, as well as various protein-polysaccharide complexes as stabilizers for heterogeneous food systems, foams and emulsions, which are the basis of many food products. In addition, special attention is paid to the prospects for the introduction of polysaccharide-based emulsifiers into industrial production and the problems that must be solved for the successful development of emulsions stabilized by biopolymers, which are the basis for thecreation of food products, are discussed