Investigating surface properties of a blend of phycocyanin and chia mucilage for its possible applications in dispersed systems

The study of the effect of protein-polysaccharide interactions on the properties of air-water and oil-water interfaces has special relevance in the development of processed dispersions, such as foams or emulsions. Specifically, the analysis of the interfacial behaviour of mixtures that exhibit assoc...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Vela Albarrán, María, Trujillo-Cayado, Luis Alfonso, Carrillo de la Fuente, Francisco, Santos García, Jenifer, Calero Romero, Nuria
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/177682
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/177682
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102260
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Foam
Surface properties
Surface rheology
Phycocyanin
Chia mucilage
Descripción
Sumario:The study of the effect of protein-polysaccharide interactions on the properties of air-water and oil-water interfaces has special relevance in the development of processed dispersions, such as foams or emulsions. Specifically, the analysis of the interfacial behaviour of mixtures that exhibit associative interactions. A surface characterization of a system consisted of a 1:1 mixture of phycocyanin and chia mucilage was studied by comparison with both unitary aqueous systems. Surface activity was assessed through surface tension measurements, revealing that the mixture achieved a surface tension of approximately 52 mN/m at 0.1 wt%, like pure phycocyanin, despite its lower protein content. Interfacial rheology showed a significant enhancement in viscoelastic properties for the mixture, with elastic and viscous moduli (G′ and G″) approximately two orders of magnitude higher than those of phycocyanin alone, indicating a reinforced gel-like behaviour. In contrast, chia mucilage alone formed a fluid-like film with G″ > G′. Zeta potential measurements confirmed that the mixture retained a high negative surface charge (like phycocyanin), ensuring colloidal stability. The foaming capacity increased with concentration for phycocyanin, which produced the greatest volume expansion. In the 1:1 phycocyanin–chia mucilage blend, overrun was intermediate but protein-efficient up to a concentration of 0.25 wt%, beyond which the increasing bulk viscosity curtailed further aeration. Chia mucilage alone consistently displayed the lowest foaming capacity. These findings demonstrate a cooperative interaction between phycocyanin and chia mucilage, resulting in improved surface structuring and mechanical strength, making the blend a promising candidate for sustainable, bio-based stabilizers in dispersed systems.