Vela-Albarran, Maria , Trujillo-Cayado, Luis A. , Carrillo, Francisco , SANTOS GARCÍA, JENIFER, Calero, Nuria
No
J. Agric. Food Res.
Article
Científica
01/10/2025
001560595900001
2-s2.0-105013130409
The study of the effect of protein-polysaccharide interactions on the properties of air-water and oil-water interfaces has special relevance in the development of processed dispersions, such as foams or emulsions. Specifically, the analysis of the interfacial behaviour of mixtures that exhibit associative interactions. A surface characterization of a system consisted of a 1:1 mixture of phycocyanin and chia mucilage was studied by comparison with both unitary aqueous systems. Surface activity was assessed through surface tension measurements, revealing that the mixture achieved a surface tension of approximately 52 mN/m at 0.1 wt%, like pure phycocyanin, despite its lower protein content. Interfacial rheology showed a significant enhancement in viscoelastic properties for the mixture, with elastic and viscous moduli (G ' and G '') approximately two orders of magnitude higher than those of phycocyanin alone, indicating a reinforced gel-like behaviour. In contrast, chia mucilage alone formed a fluid-like film with G '' > G '. Zeta potential measurements confirmed that the mixture retained a high negative surface charge (like phycocyanin), ensuring colloidal stability. The foaming capacity increased with concentration for phycocyanin, which produced the greatest volume expansion. In the 1:1 phycocyanin-chia mucilage blend, overrun was intermediate but protein-efficient up to a concentration of 0.25 wt%, beyond which the increasing bulk viscosity curtailed further aeration. Chia mucilage alone consistently displayed the lowest foaming capacity. These findings demonstrate a cooperative interaction between phycocyanin and chia mucilage, resulting in improved surface structuring and mechanical strength, making the blend a promising candidate for sustainable, bio-based stabilizers in dispersed systems.
Foam; Surface properties; Surface rheology; Phycocyanin; Chia mucilage