Sugar Beet Pectin Research Articles

Fabrication of mung bean protein-sugar beet pectin hydrogels by duo-induction of heating and laccase: Gelling properties and delivery of riboflavin

Aim of this research was to assess gelling properties and riboflavin delivery capacity of mung bean protein (MBP)-sugar beet pectin (SBP) hydrogels by duo-induction of heat and laccase. The results showed that hydrogel properties were regulated by SBP concentration. When SBP concentration was 0.20%, composite hydrogel had the highest stress (665.27 ± 26.36 Pa), water holding capacity (WHC) (75.68 ± 0.88%), storage modulus (G′) and surface hydrophobicity (H0) (9550.50 ± 33.86) (P < 0.05). At the same time, network structure of composite hydrogel was the densest and system was the most stable. When SBP concentration was 0.20%, composite hydrogel had better swelling rate, riboflavin encapsulation efficiency (51.81 ± 2.31%), cumulative release rate, biological accessibility (37.83 ± 0.90%) and storage stability (P < 0.05) compared with low concentration SBP. The introduction of SBP triggered the transition of riboflavin release mechanism to non-Fick release mechanism and transported riboflavin to the colon effectively. This study might provide theoretical support for the interaction between proteins and polysaccharides in composite hydrogel system as well as provide theoretical basis for composite hydrogel to be a delivery vehicle for bioactive substances.

Structural characterization and antioxidant activity mechanism of the ferulic acid-rich subfraction from sugar beet pectin

The feruloylated sugar chain in sugar beet pectin (SBP) is a natural polyphenol-polysaccharide complex. Its low abundance often leads to be neglected, thereby hindering its bioactivity and mechnism research. In this study, SBP-3 A, a novel feruloylated polysaccharide fragment, was isolated from sugar beet pectin utilizing enzymatic digestion. The presence of ferulic acid on SBP-3 A was confirmed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with a mass fraction of 22.5 μg/mg. The average molecular weight was determined to be 33.31 kDa. Methylation analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra revealed that SBP-3 A is a heteroglycan with the main chain structure of →2)-α-Rhap-(1 → 4)-α-GalpA-(1 → 2)-α-Rhap-(1→, and the branched chain structure of ferulic acid (FA) → 3,4)-β-Galp-(1 → 2,4)-α-Rhap-(1→. Subsequently, the antioxidant activity of SBP-3 A was evaluated using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). SBP-3 A improved antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic defense system, decreased reactive oxygen species levels, and up-regulated the mRNA expression of sod-3, skn-1, and daf-16, while down-regulated the expression of age-1 in C. elegans. Moreover, SBP-3 A modulated the gut flora by favorably affecting the abundances of Lactobacillus, Ligilactobacillus, and Akkermansia, thereby enhancing antioxidant capacity in C. elegans. Consequently, the aforementioned findings support the potential application of SBP-3 A as a functional food for treating oxidative stress-related illnesses.

3D Bioprinting of Sugar Beet Pectin through Horseradish Peroxidase-Catalyzed Cross-Linking.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mediated hydrogelation, caused by the cross-linking of phenolic groups in polymers in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), is an effective route for bioink solidification in 3D bioprinting. Sugar beet pectin (SBP) naturally has cross-linkable phenols through the enzymatic reaction. Therefore, chemical modifications are not required, unlike the various polymers that have been used in the enzymatic cross-linking system. In this study, we report the application of SBP in extrusion-based bioprinting including HRP-mediated bioink solidification. In this system, H2O2 necessary for the solidification of inks is supplied in the gas phase. Cell-laden liver lobule-like constructs could be fabricated using bioinks consisting of 10 U/mL HRP, 4.0 and 6.0 w/v% SBP, and 6.0 × 106 cells/mL human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) cells exposed to air containing 16 ppm of H2O2 concurrently during printing and 10 min postprinting. The HepG2 cells enclosed in the printed constructs maintained their viability, metabolic activity, and hepatic functions from day 1 to day 7 of the culture, which indicates the cytocompatibility of this system. Taken together, this result demonstrates the potential of SBP and HRP cross-linking systems for 3D bioprinting, which can be applied in tissue engineering applications.

Chromatography based profiling of feruloylated arabinans and galactans

Profiling of pectic arabinans and galactans by analysis of the released oligosaccharides after backbone cleavage provides information on the complexity of the polymer structure. In plants of the family Amaranthaceae, arabinan and galactan substitution with ferulates extends the polysaccharide complexity, changing its chemical properties. Knowledge of the ferulate environment is crucial to understand structure-function-relationships of feruloylated pectins. Here, we present an approach to separate enzymatically generated feruloylated and non-feruloylated arabino- and galactooligosaccharides, followed by deesterification and semiquantitative analysis by HPAEC-PAD using previously reported relative response factors. Application of this approach to sugar beet pectins and insoluble and soluble dietary fiber preparations of amaranth and quinoa suggests that ferulates are preferably incorporated into more complex structures, as nicely demonstrated for feruloylated galactans. Also, ferulate substitution appears to negatively affect enzymatic cleavage by using endo-enzymes. As a consequence, we were able to tentatively identify new feruloylated tri- and tetrasaccharides of galactans isolated from sugar beet pectins.

Interfacial Behavior and Long-Term Stability of the Emulsions Stabilized by Sugar Beet Pectin-Ca2+ Complexes with Different Cross-Linking Degrees.

Recent studies showed that sugar beet pectin exhibited more excellent emulsifying properties than traditional citrus peel pectin and apple pectin ascribed to the higher content of neutral sugar, protein, ferulic acid, and acetyl groups. It is precisely because of the extremely complex molecular structure of pectin that the emulsifying properties of the pectin-Ca2+ complex are still unclear. In this study, SBP-Ca2+ complexes with different cross-linking degrees were prepared. Subsequently, their interfacial adsorption kinetics, the resistance of interfacial films to external perturbances, and the long-term stability of the emulsions formed by these SBP-Ca2+ complexes were measured. The results indicated that the highly cross-linked SBP-Ca2+ complex exhibited slower interfacial adsorption kinetics than SBP alone. Moreover, compared with SBP alone, the oil-water interfacial film loaded by the highly cross-linked SBP-Ca2+ complex exhibited a lower elasticity and a poorer resistance to external perturbances. This resulted in a larger droplet size, a lower ζ-potential value, a larger continuous viscosity, and a worse long-term stability of the emulsion formed by the highly cross-linked SBP-Ca2+ complex. This study has very important guiding significance for deeply understanding the emulsification mechanism of the pectin-Ca2+ complex.

Stability of electrostatically stabilized emulsions and its encapsulation of astaxanthin against environmental stresses: Effect of sodium caseinate-sugar beet pectin addition order

Two addition orders, i.e., the layer-by-layer (L) and mixed biopolymer (M) orders, were used to generate sodium caseinate - sugar beet pectin electrostatically stabilized o/w emulsions with 0.5% oil and varying sodium caseinate: sugar beet pectin ratios (3:1–1:3) at pH 4.5. Emulsion stability against environmental stresses (i.e., pH, salt addition, thermal treatment, storage and in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion) and its astaxanthin encapsulation against degradation during storage and in vitro digestion were evaluated. Results indicated that a total biopolymer concentration of 0.5% was optimal, with the preferred sodium caseinate-sugar beet pectin ratios for L and M emulsions being 1:1 and 1:3, respectively. L emulsions generally exhibited smaller droplet diameters than M emulsions across all ratios, except at 1:3. Lowering the pH to 1.5 substantially reduced the net negative charge of all emulsions, with only L emulsions precipitating at pH 3. M emulsions showed greater tolerance to salt addition, remaining stable up to 500 mM sodium and calcium concentrations, whereas L emulsions destabilized at levels exceeding 50 mM and 30 mM, respectively. All emulsions were stable when heated at 37 °C or 90 °C for 30 min. Astaxanthin degradation rates increased with prolonged storage, reaching 61.66% and 54.08% by day 7 for L and M emulsions, respectively. Encapsulation efficiency of astaxanthin in freshly prepared M emulsions (86.85%) was significantly higher compared to L emulsions (72.82%). M emulsions had 30% and 25% higher encapsulation efficiency of astaxanthin than L emulsions after in vitro digestion for 120 min and 240 min respectively. This study offers suggestions for interface design and process optimization to improve the performance of protein-polysaccharide emulsion systems, such as in beverages and dairy products, as well as their delivery effect of bioactives.

Exploring novel organocatalytic-acetylated pea starch blends in the development of hot-pressed bioplastics

Acetylated starch shows enhanced thermal stability and moisture resistance, but its compatibilization with other more hydrophilic polysaccharides remains poor or unknown. In this study, the feasibility of thermomechanically compounding organocatalytically acetylated pea starch (APS), produced at two different degrees of substitution with alkanoyl groups (DSacyl, 0.39 and 1.00), with native pea starch (NPS), high (HMP) and low methoxyl (LMP) citrus pectin, and sugar beet pectin (SBP, a naturally acetylated pectin) for developing hot-pressed bioplastics was studied. Generally, APS decreased hydrogen bonding (ATR-FTIR) and crystallinity (XRD) of NPS films at different levels, depending on its DSacyl. The poor compatibility between APS and NPS or HMP was confirmed by ATR-FTIR imaging. Contrariwise, APS with DSacyl 1 was effectively thermomechanically mixed with the acetylated SBP matrix, maintaining homogeneous distribution within it (ATR-FTIR imaging). APS (any DSacyl) significantly increased the visible/UV light opacity of NPS-based films and decreased their water vapor transmission rate (WVTR, by ca. 11 %) and surface water wettability (by ca. 3 times). In comparison to NPS-APS films, pectin-APS showed higher visible/UV light absorption, tensile strength (ca.2.9–4.4 vs ca.2.4 MPa), and Young's modulus (ca.96–116 vs ca.60–70 MPa), with SBP-APS presenting significantly lower water wettability than the rest of the films.

Effect of Feed Material Properties on Microencapsulation by Spray Drying with a Three-Fluid Nozzle: Soybean Oil Encapsulated in Maltodextrin and Sugar Beet Pectin

The relationship between the properties of wall material and spray-dried microcapsules was investigated. Soybean oil was encapsulated with various concentrations of maltodextrin (10 and 20% w / w ) and sugar beet pectin (0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4% w / w ) solution via spray drying with a three-fluid nozzle (3FN). The rheological properties of the wall material solution were characterized using a controlled strain rheometer before spray drying and were found to fit the power-law model. The rheological properties of a wall material within the range of the samples tested had a limited impact on the morphology of the microcapsules. Most spray-dried samples had a wrinkled surface with some microcapsules having a spherical shape with a hollow core. As the consistency index of the wall material solution increased, the particle size distribution of microcapsules became wider. The surface oil content of the microcapsules was between 1.3 and 3.4%, generally increasing as the consistency index of the wall material solution increased. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) was between 74.7 and 91.2%. When compared with the sample produced with a two-fluid nozzle (2FN), 3FN microcapsules were larger and had higher effective EE and higher oil loading than 2FN microcapsules. This study revealed that oil could be encapsulated by wall materials, without the preparation of an emulsion, with a 3FN, which will save time and energy for the encapsulation process.

Effects of sugar beet pectin on the pasting, rheological, thermal, and microstructural properties of wheat starch

The effects of addition of sugar beet pectin (SBP) on the pasting, rheological, thermal, and microstructural properties of wheat starch (WS) were investigated. Results revealed that SBP addition significantly increased the peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown value, final viscosity, and setback value of WS, whereas decreased the pasting temperature. SBP raised the swelling power (from 13.44 to 21.32 g/g) and endothermic enthalpy (ΔH, from 8.17 to 8.98 J/g), but decreased the transparency (from 9.70 % to 1.37 %). Regarding rheological properties, WS-SBP mixtures exhibited a pseudo-plastic behavior, and SBP enhanced the viscoelasticity, but decreased the deformability. Particle size distribution analysis confirmed that SBP promoted the swelling of WS granules. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy results suggested that the interactions between SBP and WS did not involve covalent bonding, and the formation of ordered structure was inhibited by SBP addition. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy observation found that the gel network of WS-SBP mixtures became more irregular, pore size gradually decreased, and the wall became thinner as the SBP concentration increased. These results indicated that SBP is a promising non-starch polysaccharide that can enhance the processing properties of WS.

Conformational flexibility and molecular weight influence the emulsification performance of pectin: A comparative study of sugar beet pectin and citrus pectin

Due to the complex composition and structure of plant polymers, a detailed investigation into the emulsification mechanism of pectin is still warranted. Herein, we aimed to clarify the relationship between the macromolecular structure (conformational flexibility and molecular weight (Mw) and the emulsification performance of pectin, which was obtained from two sources (sugar beet pectin (SBP) and citrus pectin (CP) and treated by hydrothermal depolymerization (dominated by acid hydrolysis), following which the overall flexibility was assessed using the persistence length (Lp)/Mw per unit contour length (ML) ratio. The results showed that depolymerization reduced the conformational flexibility of SBP (Lp/ML increased from 0.0169 to 0.0219 nm2 mol/g) and improved the flexibility of CP (Lp/ML decreased from 0.0551 to 0.0403 nm2 mol/g). Interfacial tension analysis revealed that the higher flexibility of pectin conferred superior surface activity, leading to decreased interfacial tension. Consequently, the fabricated emulsion was finer and more stable, with smaller changes in droplet size, as measured by a laser particle analyzer. The improved emulsification was attributed to the better exposure of hydrophobic proteins due to the conformational changes caused by the stretching and twisting of the more flexible polysaccharide chains in pectin, which facilitated higher interfacial adsorption of CP, increasing it from 43.4% to 61.8%. Moreover, the smaller interfacial concentration of the flexible pectins suggested that they had higher emulsification efficiency, in which the pectins might be densely packed at the interface to form a compact interfacial layer to stabilize the emulsion.

Preparation and characterization of self-standing biofilms from compatible pectin/starch blends: Effect of pectin structure

Pectin structure-miscibility-functionality relationships in starch films remain unknown. In this study, five citrus pectins (CPs) with 17 to 63 % of degree of methyl esterification (DM) and sugar beet pectin (SBP, rich in acetyl moieties and rhamnogalacturonan-I domains) were investigated for composition and structure and, further, blended with pea starch (3:1 starch-pectin weight ratio) to fabricate self-standing films. The incorporation of pectin resulted in a two- to three-fold increase in tensile strength and Young's modulus (up to 52.2 and 1837 MPa, respectively, using CP with low DM) without compromising elongation at break. Starch-SBP films presented the lowest strength among pectin films. Lower film moisture and water vapor permeability were attained with CP of high DM, or with SBP, whereas surface wettability was explained by counteracting factors affecting film compositional heterogeneity. Films made with high methoxyl CP, or with SBP, showed lower overall H-bonding (FTIR) and starch crystallinity (XRD). A DM above 57 % negatively affected the mixing and interfacial adhesion of pectin with starch, as shown by Attenuated Total Reflection-FTIR imaging. Pectins with the lowest purity, presumably with the greatest content in xyloglucan, as suggested by HPAEC, presented ~20 % higher elongation at break than the other films.

Laccase-Induced Gelation of Sugar Beet Pectin-Curcumin Nanocomplexes Enhanced by Genipin Crosslinking.

Research on the use of polysaccharides as hydrophobic bioactive carriers instead of proteins is still scarce. Sugar beet pectin (SBP) contains a small amount of protein and is a potential carrier for loading curcumin. In this work, SBP encapsulation, genipin crosslinking, and laccase-induced gelation were used to develop novel jelly food and improve the stability of curcumin without the incorporation of oil. By mixing the SBP solution (40 mg/mL) with curcumin powder (25 mg/mL SBP solution), an SBP-curcumin complex (SBP-Cur) was fabricated with a loading amount of 32 mg/g SBP, and the solubility of curcumin improved 116,000-fold. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that hydrophobic interactions drove the complexation of curcumin and SBP. Crosslinked by genipin (10 mM), SBP-Cur showed a dark blue color, and the gel strength of laccase-catalyzed gels was enhanced. Heating and UV radiation tests suggested that the genipin crosslinking and gelation strategies substantially improved the stability of curcumin. Because of the unique UV-blocking capacity of blue pigment, crosslinked samples retained 20% more curcumin than control samples. With the enhanced stability of curcumin, the crosslinked SBP-curcumin complexes could be a functional food ingredient used in functional drinks, baked food, and jelly food.

Emulsification properties of sugar beet pectin: The synergistic effect of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan-Ⅰ

In recent years, sugar beet pectin has been shown to exhibit excellent emulsifying properties compared to commercial citrus peel pectin and apple pectin, with emulsifying properties similar to those of gum arabic. However, due to the highly complex molecular structure, the emulsification mechanism of sugar beet pectin is still unclear. In this study, the RG-Ⅰ region of sugar beet pectin was successfully isolated and characterized by chemical composition, FT-IR, TG/DTG, XRD and 1H NMR analyses. In addition, multiscale characterization techniques showed that RG-Ⅰ could form a much thicker and more elastic interfacial film than HG. This highly elastic interfacial film is crucial for the long-term emulsion stability. Moreover, our studies also showed that HG and RG-Ⅰ alone could not form an interfacial film as elastic as that of sugar beet pectin. This indicates that the smooth HG region and hairy RG-Ⅰ region of sugar beet pectin molecules are both necessary to form a thick and highly elastic interfacial film, and thus obtain a long-term stable emulsion.

Improving physical stability of pea protein-based emulsions near the isoelectric point via polysaccharide complexation

Development of plant protein-based mildly acidic beverages remains challenging as the pH range falls near the protein isoelectric point, destabilizing emulsions. To overcome this problem, it was hypothesized that complexation between plant proteins and polysaccharides could provide emulsion stability in this critical pH range. Four different polysaccharides (sugar beet pectin, gum Arabic (GA), guar gum, gellan gum) were mixed separately with pea protein isolate (PPI) in 1:1 ratio, and the critical pH values for the formation of soluble complexes were determined. Heating the mixture widened the optimal pH range for soluble complexation for pectin-PPI and GA-PPI below the isoelectric point, which was then used to prepare 5 wt% O/W emulsions with an aqueous phase containing 0.5 wt% biopolymers at pH 8.0 and pH 4.5. Emulsion stability was characterized using droplet size, charge, visual observation, microstructure, and accelerated gravitational separation. PPI-only emulsions were stable at pH 8.0 but extensively destabilized at pH 4.5. The GA-PPI emulsions showed high stability at pH 8.0; however, at pH 4.5, the soluble complexes failed to provide a stable emulsion due to extensive droplet aggregation and phase separation. The emulsion prepared with a co-soluble pectin-PPI mixture at pH 8.0 also showed droplet aggregation and phase separation. The most improved emulsion stability (smallest droplet size, no aggregation) was observed for the pectin-PPI soluble complex at pH 4.5. Findings from this study showed that soluble complexes could be obtained at the desired pH range depending on the polysaccharide sources, which can stabilize O/W emulsions even near the protein's isoelectric point.

Study on the relationship between primary structure/ spatial conformation and gel properties of pectins from different varieties

The structural characteristics of pectin vary considerably among varieties, which causes differences in gel properties. In this study, the relationships among the primary structure, spatial conformation, and gel properties of pectins extracted from grapefruit, apple, bigarade, mango, watermelon, and sugar beet were investigated. The six pectins were all high methoxyl pectins, each having a different degree of methyl esterification (DE). The sugar beet pectin with the lowest DE (54.7%) and loosest conformation (maximum Dmax, 63 nm) exhibited poor gelation properties. Apple pectin, which had a higher molecular weight (314 kDa), the highest DE (77.8%), and a compact conformation (Dmax, 40 nm) showed superior gelation. The compact conformation of pectins contributed to the formation of hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonds within close proximity of molecules, resulting in a stable three-dimensional network. These results demonstrate that the primary structure and spatial conformation together affect the gelation properties of pectins, and provide new insight into the relationship between the chemical structure and gelation properties of pectins from different varieties.

Conjugation of aminated sugar beet pectin–tannic acid nanoparticles with cinnamaldehyde at the oil–water interface to stabilize a 3D printable high-internal phase emulsion

In this work, we demonstrated the use of aminated sugar beet pectin (SBP–NH2)–tannic acid (TA) nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated with cinnamaldehyde (CA) to form 3D printable high-internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). Unlike the absorption of common stabilizers, the interfacial conjugation of SBP-NH2/TA NPs with CA formed ultra-absorbed NPs at the oil–water interface through electrostatic bonding, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and Schiff base reaction. The addition of CA (2.5 wt%) to the oil phase significantly reduced the mean droplet size of SBP-NH2/TA NPs stabilized HIPE (75 vol% oil; SBP-NH2/TA mass ratios of 1:0.5) from 23.03 to 18.33 μm and greatly improved the stability of HIPEs during a 90-day storage period at 25 °C. Concomitantly, rheological studies indicate that HIPEs with CA had high viscoelasticity up to 3 orders of magnitude, providing HIPE-based inks with exceptional support performance and smooth extrusion features. In particular, TA and CA act as the components of a stabilizer and adsorb onto the oil–water interface, imparting combined antioxidant and antimicrobial dual capabilities to HIPEs. In the SBP-NH2/TA NPs stabilized HIPEs, the addition of CA resulted in 0.34-fold lower amounts of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products and 0.4–0.5-fold higher antimicrobial properties against either E. coli or S. aureus. This work established that the interfacial conjugation of the SBP-NH2/TA NPs with CA advanced the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, stability, water-holding capacity, and viscoelastic properties of HIPEs. Furthermore, the three-dimensional (3D) printed structure with notable mechanical strength was achieved.

Application of Persimmon Pectin with Promising Emulsification Properties as an Acidified Milk Drinks Stabilizer.

The present study aimed to evaluate the capability of persimmon pectin (PP) as a stabilizer for acid milk drinks (AMDs) compared with commercial high-methoxyl pectin (HMP) and sugar beet pectin (SBP). The effectiveness of pectin stabilizers was assessed by analyzing particle size, micromorphology, zeta potential, sedimentation fraction, storage, and physical stability. Results of CLSM images and particle size measurements showed that PP-stabilized AMDs had smaller droplet sizes and more uniform distributions, indicating better stabilization potential compared with the HMP- and SBP-stabilized AMDs. Zeta potential measurements revealed that the addition of PP significantly increased the electrostatic repulsion between particles and prevented aggregation. Moreover, based on the results of Turbiscan and storage stability determination, PP exhibited better physical and storage stability compared with HMP and SBP. The combination of steric repulsion and electrostatic repulsion mechanisms exerted a stabilizing effect on the AMDs prepared from PP. Overall, these findings suggest that PP has promising potential as an AMD stabilizer in the food and beverage industry.

Visible light photocrosslinking of sugar beet pectin for 3D bioprinting applications

Herein, we report the hydrogelation of sugar beet pectin (SBP) via visible light-mediated photocrosslinking and its applications in extrusion-based 3D bioprinting. Rapid hydrogelation (<15 s) was achieved by applying 405 nm visible light to an SBP solution in the presence of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride hexahydrate ([Ru(bpy)3]2+) and sodium persulfate (SPS). The mechanical properties of the hydrogel could be tuned by controlling the visible light irradiation time and concentrations of SBP, [Ru(bpy)3]2+, and SPS. High-fidelity 3D hydrogel constructs were fabricated by extruding inks containing 3.0 wt% SBP, 1.0 mM [Ru(bpy)3]2+, and 1.0 mM SPS. Human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) cells encapsulated in SBP hydrogels remained viable and metabolically active after 14 d of culture. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of applying SBP and a visible light-mediated photocrosslinking system to the 3D bioprinting of cell-laden constructs for tissue engineering applications.

Pickering emulsions synergistically stabilized by sugar beet pectin and montmorillonite exhibit enhanced storage stability and viscoelasticity

Sugar beet pectin (SBP) is a naturally occurring emulsifying type of pectin fabricated into nanocomposites with montmorillonite (MMT) and then introduced as a stabilizer for high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). SBP-MMT composites performed well in emulsifying medium-chain triglyceride with an oil volume fraction (φ) of 0.1–0.85 and SBP/MMT mass ratios of 1:0.1–1:0.75. The two representative high internal phase emulsions stabilized by SBP-MMT composites at different SBP/MMT mass ratios exhibited good stability against creaming and coalescence. In these emulsion systems, SBP and MMT formed a network in the continuous phase that markedly improved the rheological properties, including the storage modulus (by 3 orders of magnitude). Confocal light scattering microscopy analysis indicated that a fraction of MMT could work synergistically with SBP in adsorbing on oil droplet surfaces, enhancing stability. SBP-MMT composites stabilized high internal phase emulsions destabilized after the freeze-thaw treatment (−40 °C for 20 h and 25 °C for 4 h) but could be facilely re-emulsified via high-speed shearing. The gastrointestinal digestion behaviors were also modified by stabilizing SBP and MMT. Overall, this work reveals a hitherto undocumented strategy for fabricating highly stable emulsions based on SBP-MMT composites which have huge prospects for application in the food and related industries.

Understanding the impact of pectin physicochemical variation on browning of simulated Maillard reaction system in thermal and storage processing

Maillard reaction browning is one of the quality deterioration in dried fruit products, but how pectin affects Maillard reaction in the fruit drying and storage process is not clear. This study aimed at investigating the mechanism of pectin variation impact on the browning of Maillard reaction by using simulated system (l-lysine, d-fructose and pectin) in thermal (60 °C and 90 °C for 8 h) and storage (37 °C for 14 days) process. Results showed that apple pectin (AP) and sugar beet pectin (SP) significantly enhanced the browning index (BI) of the Maillard reaction system by 0.01 to 134.51 in the thermal and storage processes, respectively, which were methylation degree of pectin-dependent. The pectin depolymerization product participated Maillard reaction by reacting with l-lysine, and increasing the 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) content (1.25–11.41-fold) and Abs420nm (0.01–0.09). It also produced a new product (m/z 225.1245), which finally increased browning level of the system.