Mucilage Gum (Opuntia Ficus Indica L.Mill) Stabilizes Oil/Water Emulsions By Enhancing Repulsion Surface Forces

CLAUDIA QUINZIO; FRIAS, M DE LOS ANGELES; LAURA ITURRIAGA

Carlos Paz

Congreso; XLII Reunión anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Biofísica-SAB 2013; 2013

Sociedad Argentina de Biofísica

The aim of this study was to determine the stabilizing properties of mucilage and compare with commercial hydrocolloids. Emulsions are heterogeneous systems composed of a mixture of two immiscible phases, a continuous and dispersed as small droplets. The emulsions have a large interfacial area and hence they are thermodynamically unstable, therefore requiring the addition of stabilizing substances. One of the best known functional properties of the polysaccharides is their ability to stabilize these disperse systems largely because they contribute to the viscosity of the continuous phase which hinders the movement of the droplets. In this sense, a regional alternative source is a muco polysaccharide present in specialized cells of the parenchyma tissue of cladodes of Opuntia ficus indica L. Mill.  It is a high molecular weight polysaccharide that behaves as a polyelectrolyte. Contain residues of arabinose, galactose, galacturonic acid, rhamnose and xylose.It is soluble in water and its solution configuration corresponds to a random coil.