Tribological study of suspensions of cysteine-rich protein stabilized microbubbles and subsequent triphasic A/O/W emulsions

Abstract

When developing low-fat foods, one of the main concerns is the sensory performance which is generally inferior to that of the full-fat version. Micron-sized air cells coated and stabilised by proteins (0.5-10μm) have been produced sonochemically using different cysteine-rich proteins (hydrophobin, bovine serum albumin [BSA] and egg white proteins [EWPs]). These suspensions of air cells have been termed "air filled emulsions" (AFEs) and suggested for the production of low-fat emulsion-based products. This study explores the oral (tribological) behavior of AFEs as ingredients and within a triphasic A/O/W emulsion-based prototype salad dressing. Tribological measurement of AFEs yielded different results for BSA-AFE and EWP-AFE, indicating that the very nature of the protein may play a crucial role. However, the triphasic A/O/W emulsion showed similar, if not better, lubrication properties than the standard O/W version, indicating that AFEs may contribute to the perceived fat-related attributes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.