Chitosan: Whey Protein Isolate: An Efective Emulsifer for Stabilization of Squalene Based Emulsions

Abstract

Chitosan, a biocompatible functional polysaccharide, often in conjunction with proteins is being employed as efficient food delivery systems assuring better stability and release properties.In the present study, the formulation of a stable squalene-in-water emulsion was attempted using chitosan-whey protein isolate complex as the wall material. Six different treatments (A–F) of biopolymers were prepared by varying the pH (4.5 and 5.5) and chitosan concentration (0.25, 0.5 and 1 percentage) , whereas the concentration of whey protein isolate was kept constant (10 percentage). Emulsions were prepared by high speed homogenization after addition of squalene at the rate of 30 percentage of the total wall material weight (w/w). Emulsions prepared using 1 percentage chitosan, 10 percentage whey protein isolate at pH 5.5 (Treatment F) was found to be significantly stable (p less than 0.05) with an emulsion stability index of 97.05 plus or minus 0.10 percentage lowest particle size and highest zeta potential. Rheological analysis revealed that treatment F had the highest viscosity along with the highest consistency coefficient (K) value of 5.85 plus or minus 0.01. The findings of the study showed that a stable complex prepared by 1 percentage chitosan and 10 percentage whey protein isolate at 5.5 pH can be utilized as a stable mixed delivery system for biologically sensitive lipophilic compounds.