Benchmarking of a microgel-reinforced hydrogel-based aqueous lubricant against commercial saliva substitutes.

Xerostomia, the subjective sensation of 'dry mouth' affecting at least 1 in 10 adults, predominantly elders, increases life-threatening infections, adversely impacting nutritional status and quality of life. A patented, microgel-reinforced hydrogel-based aqueous lubricant, prepared using either dairy or plant-based proteins, has been demonstrated to offer substantially enhanced lubricity comparable to real human saliva in in vitro experiments. Herein, we present the benchmarking of in vitro lubrication performance of this aqueous lubricant, both in its dairy and vegan formulation against a range of widely available and employed commercial saliva substitutes, latter classified based on their shear rheology into "liquids", "viscous liquids" and "gels", and also had varying extensional properties.

Interfacial study of class II hydrophobin and its mixtures with milk proteins: relationship to bubble stability.

Class II hydrophobin (HFBII) is a very promising ingredient for improving food foam stability. Pure HFBII-stabilized bubbles exhibited exceptional stability to disproportionation (dissolution) but were not stable to bubble coalescence induced by a pressure drop. Bubbles stabilized by mixtures of HFBII + sodium caseinate (SC) or β-lactoglobulin (BL) showed decreased shrinkage rates compared to pure SC or BL and improved the stability to pressure-drop-induced coalescence.

Preparation and characterization of the foam-stabilizing properties of cellulose-ethyl cellulose complexes for use in foods.

Surface active cellulose particles have been prepared for use as foam stabilizing agents in foods. Various sources of cellulose were broken down by combinations of milling, acid dissolution and treatment with cellulase. The most efficient and simple method was hammer and freezer milling of dry crystalline α-cellulose (Tencel).