Improved sugar beet pectin-stabilized emulsions through complexation with sodium caseinate.

The study investigates the complexes formed between sodium caseinate (SC) and sugar beet pectin (SBP) and to harness them to stabilize SBP emulsions. We find that both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions are involved in the complexation. In SC/SBP mixed solution, soluble SC/SBP complexes first form on acidification and then aggregate into insoluble complexes, which disassociate into soluble polymers upon further decreasing pH. The critical pH's for the formation of soluble and insoluble complexes and disappearance of insoluble complexes are designated as pH(c), pH(φ), and pH(d), respectively. These critical pH values define four regions in the phase diagram of complexation, and SC/SBP emulsions were prepared in these regions. The results show that the stability of SBP-stabilized emulsion is greatly improved at low SC/SBP ratios and acidic pH's. This enhancement can be attributed to an increase in the amount of adsorbed SBP as a result of cooperative adsorption to sodium caseinate. Using a low ratio of SC/SBP ensured that all caseinate molecules are completely covered by adsorbed SBP chains, which eliminates possible instability induced by thermal aggregation of caseinate molecules resulting from stress acceleration at elevated temperatures. A mechanistic model for the behavior is proposed.