Fabrication and characterization of Pickering high internal phase emulsion stabilized by mung bean flour

Abstract

Pickering high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) has a broad application prospect in the field of solid fat substitution and nutraceutical delivery, but the safe and available food-derived particle emulsifier is the bottleneck of its practical application. In this study, mung bean flour was used as a particle emulsifier to stabilize oil-in-water Pickering HIPEs. The results showed that the particle size of mung bean flour was suitable (median diameter, 26.41 μm) and had certain wettability. The volume fraction of oil phase (φ) and the concentration of mung bean flour (c) had significant effects on the formation of Pickering HIPEs. When c ≥ 1%, the Pickering HIPE of φ = 80% could be obtained. Mung bean flour not only played an emulsifying role at the oil/water interface, but also prevented the coalescence of oil droplets through its viscosity effect in the aqueous phase. With the increase of c, the droplet size of Pickering HIPEs decreased, the mechanical properties increased gradually, and the ability of HIPEs protecting β-carotene against ultraviolet irradiation was also enhanced.

Keywords:
mung bean; Pickering emulsion; high internal phase emulsion; characterization; mechanical properties