Formulation and characterisation of O/W emulsions stabilised with modified seaweed polysaccharides

Abstract

In this study, seaweed polysaccharides (alginate and carrageenan) were modified with dodecenylsuccinic anhydride (DSA), and their stabilising properties in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion system were evaluated. The physicochemical characteristics were determined by droplet size, interfacial tension and ζ-potential and structurally verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Both CRG-DSA and ALG-DSA applied in O/W emulsion system exhibited smaller droplet sizes over the increasing concentration and were more stable during storage than native ones. The ζ-potential of DSA-modified seaweed polysaccharides has more negative charge compared with their native forms, owing to the additional carboxyl groups from modification reaction. In addition, DSA-modified seaweed polysaccharides decreased the interfacial tension at soybean oil–water interface from 23.1 and 23.9 mN m−1 to 14.2 and 13.6 mN m−1, respectively. The successful modification reaction was confirmed by FTIR analysis. This study demonstrated that DSA-modified seaweed polysaccharides may serve as prospective emulsifiers in food, pharmaceutical and other industrial fields.