Application of microgels for food emulsions and foams - potential of Mickering stabilization

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07751
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Food science
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Matsumiya Kentaro 京都大学, 農学研究科, 助教 (60553013)
• Research Collaborator: Matsumura Yasuki ; Ishii Toya ; Aoshima Mai ; Yamashita Natsu
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ミクロゲル / 乳化剤 / エマルション / 分散系食品 / 植物性素材

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to impart emulsifying ability to gel-forming polysaccharides that have not been used as emulsifying agents, agar, curdlan, and gellan gum were converted to microgels by different gelation methods via the bottom-up and top-down approaches. We demonstrated that agar and curdlan acquired the ability to emulsify an edible oil by microgel formation. Among the colloidal properties of microgel suspensions such as microstructure, particle size, zeta-potential, viscosity, and surface hydrophobicity, we pointed out the importance of particle size on the emulsifying ability of polysaccharide-based microgels. The creaming behavior of the microgel-stabilized emulsions depended on the polysaccharide types and microgel preparation methods. The emulsion stability against oil droplet coalescence was extremely high for agar and curdlan microgel stabilized emulsions during storage in the static condition, whereas different stability was observed for both the emulsions.

Free Research Field

食品コロイド学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

乳化系や泡沫系などの分散系を安定化するための素材としては、主に乳や卵などの動物性タンパク質が頻用される。その一方で、動物性素材は生産上の環境負荷も大きく、タンパク質性素材であればアレルゲンとしての課題も生じやすい。本研究で有用性が見出されたミクロゲルは植物性または細菌性素材であり、かつ多糖類であることから、これらの課題は生じにくい。多糖類ミクロゲルは今後分散系食品を製造する際の素材選択の幅を広げるものとして期待される。