Stable medium internal phase emulsions of low-solubility soy protein isolate: The effects of pH, ionic strength, and polysaccharides

  • GUO Fengxian ,
  • MAO Yiming ,
  • CHEN Yujie ,
  • WU Shiying ,
  • QIU Dingqiang ,
  • ZHENG Zongping ,
  • HE Zhiyong
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  • 1(College of Ocean and Food, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, China)
    2(College of Materials Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China)
    3(Quanzhou Duole Oil and Fat Technology Co.Ltd., Quanzhou 362000, China)

Received date: 2025-05-23

  Revised date: 2025-07-29

  Online published: 2026-04-10

Abstract

This study systematically investigated strategies to stabilize medium internal phase emulsions (MIPEs;60% oil) using low-solubility soy protein isolate (SPI) by evaluating three factors, pH (8.0-12.0), ionic strength (50-200 mmol/L), and polysaccharides (xanthan gum, XG;carrageenan, Car), through rheology, Zeta potential, centrifugation stability, and Confocal laser scanning microscope.Results revealed that XG at an SPI:XG ratio of 1:1(mL:mL), synergistically improved emulsion stability by nearly tripling the storage modulus (G′) (indicating a reinforced gel network), reducing droplet size, and achieving 93.05% centrifugation stability, with a high zeta potential (40.4 mV);these effects were attributed to XG’s ability to form a compact, interconnected microstructure, as visualized by CLSM.In contrast, Car had a less pronounced effect on emulsion stability compared to XG.While pH adjustments and ionic strength improved protein charge and aggregation, enhancing rheology and microstructure but having a limited impact on the centrifugation stability.Overall, the synergistic use of low-solubility SPI and XG offers a promising strategy for improving MIPE stability and facilitating the value-added utilization of low-solubility plant proteins in food emulsion systems.

Cite this article

GUO Fengxian , MAO Yiming , CHEN Yujie , WU Shiying , QIU Dingqiang , ZHENG Zongping , HE Zhiyong . Stable medium internal phase emulsions of low-solubility soy protein isolate: The effects of pH, ionic strength, and polysaccharides[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2026 , 52(6) : 146 -155 . DOI: 10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.043370

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