Complexing hemp seed protein with pectin for improved emulsion stability

Abstract

Hemp seed protein has the potential to be used in food systems as an emulsifying agent; however, there are still some shortcomings associated with hemp seed protein, such as poor solubility and tendency to aggregate. This study aims to improve the dispersibility of hemp seed protein as an emulsifier by complexing with pectin, driven by electrostatic force. Three protein to pectin ratios were used for complexation, from 1:1, 2:1 to 4:1. The complexation improved the polydispersity of hemp seed protein when dispersed in the aqueous phase. The hemp seed protein displayed multimodal size distribution in water at pH = 3.0 due to aggregation, while the incorporation of pectin helped to diminish those aggregated proteins. When the hemp seed protein was used to stabilize the oil‐in‐water emulsion, its stabilized emulsion showed promising homogenous droplet size distribution after emulsification. However, during the accelerated storage conditions (55°C), the emulsion stabilized solely by hemp seed protein was subjected to extensive coalescence. From day 0 to 9, the droplet size (d4,3) increased by 50 folds from 3.215 to 161.6 µm. In contrast, the hemp seed protein–pectin complex exhibited extraordinary stability during the storage test, where size evolution in all three samples was negligible compared to the emulsion stabilized by hemp seed protein. Rheological characterization suggests that pectin provided physical strength, which may help the emulsion droplets to maintain structural integrity under environmental stress. The underlying mechanism could be associated with the formation of a three‐dimensional structure by pectin through bridging adjacent emulsion droplets. Practical Application Hemp seed protein is gaining more and more attention as an emerging plant protein. Recently, hemp seed protein has been explored as an emulsifier, but its stabilized emulsion encounters instability issues during storage. Our study suggests pectin could be used as a co‐stabilizer for hemp seed protein emulsions.

Stability and antimicrobial activity of lemongrass essential oil in nanoemulsions produced by high‐intensity ultrasounds and stabilized by soy lecithin, hydrolyzed whey proteins, gum Arabic, or their ternary admixture

“…Polydispersity in the droplet size distribution curves (bi‐multimodal distribution), was attributed by different researchers (Feng et al, 2021; Hebishy et al, 2015; Palazolo et al, 2011) to droplet flocculation/aggregation. If the droplets are destabilized by coalescence, it is most likely that this second peak will disappear and droplet size will shift toward a larger size with the monomodal distribution.…”

Microfluidized hemp protein isolate: an effective stabilizer for high‐internal‐phase emulsions with improved oxidative stability

“…The resulting protein precipitate was allowed to form for 2 h and subsequently centrifuged again (8000 × g , 15 min). The resulting pellet was carefully collected and freeze‐dried using a vacuum freeze dryer (ALPHA Christ, Osterode, Germany) for subsequent analysis 15 . The protein concentration of the obtained sample, determined to be 92.81 ± 0.21% (equivalent to 92.81 ± 0.21 g of protein per 100 g of powder) on a dry basis, was measured using the Kjeldahl method with a nitrogen‐to‐protein conversion factor of 6.25.…”

Розробка М’ясомістких Напівфабрикатів З М’ясом Щуки І Протеїном Насіння Коноплі

“…The EC of the experimental minced meat-containing system varied from 56.49 ± 1.26 to 61.42 ± 1.49 %, which is 8.72-18.21 % higher compared to the control. The presence of biopolymers in the «Hemp seed protein» [35], which can form hydrate shells on the surface of fat capsules, leads to the retention of the lipid fraction of meat raw materials in an emulsion state. On the other hand, freshwater fish meat proteins also have a high water-binding capacity and can participate in the formation of fat phase shells, enhancing dispersion and stabilizing the fat emulsion [36].…”