Effect of Sunflower Lecithins on the Stability

PAN, L.G., ; TOMÁS, M.C; AÑÓN, M.C

JOURNAL OF SURFACTANTS AND DETERGENTS

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Año: 2002 vol. 5 p. 135 - 143

1097-3958

Lecithins are frequently applied in the food industry as emulsifiers, viscosity regulators, and dispersing agents. The main aim of the present work was to study the emulsifying capability of diverse sunflower lecithins so as to evaluate the functionality of these by-products, which are not extensively used at present. The experimental results obtained for water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions showed that dispersions containing levels of 0.1% lecithins were more stable against coalescence than a control system, whereas those with 1% emulsifying agent exhibited the opposite behavior. On the other hand, faster sedimentation kinetics were observed at a concentration of 0.1% than at 1%. Lecithins with high phospholipid content, especially phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol, were found to be the best emulsifying agents for W/O dispersions. In the case of oil-in-water emulsions, it was possible to observe two processes: creaming of emulsions with the addition of 1% of lecithins, and instant creaming followed by coalescence of the cream phase in those cases corresponding to 0.1% added lecithin. Paper no. S1257 in JSD 5, 135–143 (April 2002).JSD 5, 135–143 (April 2002).