Microfluidic Analysis of Emulsion Stability: Evaluating Native and Modified Lesser Mealworm Protein Concentrate

Identifier:  TDX:4607

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX4607

Authors:  Jayakumar, Jitesh

Abstract:
This study investigates the potential of lesser mealworm protein concentrate (LMPC) as a sustainable alternative to whey protein isolate (WPI) for stabilizing oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions using microfluidic techniques. Emulsions were prepared using hexadecane and sunflower oil stabilized with varying concentrations of LMPC and WPI, ranging from 0.0005% to 0.02% w/v. The study examined oíl fractions of 5.3%, 7.7%, 11.1%, and 14.3% v/v and protein adsorption times spanning 0.0398 to 0.158 seconds. The frequency of coalescence (Fcoal) was highest at 0.42 s' under conditions of low protein concentration, high oil fraction, and short adsorption periods. lncreasing the protein concentration to 0.02% significantly reduced Fcoal to 0.12 s', demonstrating enhanced emulsion stability. The study further evaluated !he impact of modified LMPC using chlorogenic acid (CA), tannic acid (TA), and thermal treatment (Th) on emulsion stability. Thermally treated LMPC exhibited the lowest Fcoal of 0.08 s' ata protein concentration of 0.02% and an oil fraction of 14.3%, indicating improved interfacial properties and stabilization capacity. Statistical analyses, including two-way ANOVA and regression analysis, highlighted the critica! roles of protein type, concentration, and oíl fraction, accounting for approximately 75% of the variabilily in emulsion stabilily.