Rheological interfacial properties of plant protein-arabic gum coacervates at the oil-water interface

This study concerns the interfacial properties of the plant proteins - arabic gum coacervates, which are involved in encapsulation processes based on complex coacervation. The results make it possible to deduce the prerequisite characteristics of the protein, which are involved in the coacervate interfacial properties. The influence of pH and concentration on protein interfacial properties was also studied so as to enable us to predict the best conditions to achieve encapsulation. It has been established that, to obtain a good encapsulation yield, the coacervate must show high surface-active properties and its adsorption on the oil droplets must be favored compared to the free protein adsorption. On the other hand, mechanical properties of the interfacial film made of the coacervate, appear to be a key parameter, as reflected by the dilational viscoelasticity measurements. When compared to the properties of the proteins films, an increase of the rigidity of the interfacial film was shown with the coacervates. It was also observed that viscoelastic properties of the coacervate film were strongly reduced, as well as the associated relaxation times. In acidic conditions, the coacervates containing alpha-gliadin are characterized by an interfacial viscoelastic behavior. This behavior reflects the softness of the interfacial film. This viscoelasticity allows also the formation of a continuous layer around the oil droplets to be encapsulated. Drop tensiometry is shown to be a method that could allow the most adapted protein to be selected and the conditions of the coacervation process to be optimized with regard to concentration and pH.