2001 Volume 2 Issue 3 Pages 87-95
Proteins are very often used as emulsifying agents and stabilizers for real food emulsion systems. Such situation increases the importance of research works about the structure and functions of proteins at oil droplet surfaces, because adsorbed proteins at the surfaces affect the overall properties and qualities of emulsions. In this review, I described our recent results about the interactions of proteins with other components, particularly lipid components. The effects of such interactions on physical properties of emulsions were also shown. In the former part, the interaction between fat crystals and β-casein at oil droplet surfaces in creams was investigated using various techniques such as NMR, ESR, oscillation rheometry, etc. I have shown the mechanism whereby fat crystals in oil droplets affect the adsorption and conformation of the protein at oil droplet surfaces thereby causing the changes of physical properties of emulsions. In the second part, I described the results on the displacement of milk whey proteins by egg yolk lipoproteins at oil droplet surfaces, particularly emphasizing the effects of temperature on the displacement behavior.
