Thermal and emulsifying properties of globulins from chan ( Hyptis suaveolens L. Poit) seeds

Abstract

This research aims to study the thermal and emulsifying properties of the chan globulins (CG), which are the most abundant Osborne fraction of the seed of Hyptis suaveolens. In this sense, the calorimetric analysis indicated a cooperative behavior in thermal denaturation process with a denaturation temperature of 100.9°C and an enthalpy change of 124.6 kJ/mol for CG. Besides, strong gels (Gʹ ~7.5 × 105 Pa) were produced, with a gelation temperature of 80°C. Also, CG presented high surface activity with critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.3 mg/ml. The best emulsifying properties and colloidal stability were found at basic pH values and they were negatively influenced by the content of NaCl along a pH gradient. In conclusion, CG may be used as thermostable emulsifier at basic pH values (preferably without NaCl), and as a potential ingredient for protein-rich gel formulations. Practical applications This work describes a simple and practical procedure to obtain CG at high yield (96%) and acceptable purity, which could be easily implemented without further costs and tedious chromatographic techniques. In addition, the high gelation capacity and strong gel formation for CG, make them suitable for formulation of protein-based gels with potential application in the drug and food industry. CG also showed high emulsifying activity and emulsifying stability indexes, implying their promising use as a thermostable emulsifier at basic pH values. Finally, the incorporation of CG as food ingredient, is an alternative to other pseudocereals to expand the offer of gluten-free food products for celiac consumers.