Comparative analysis of the physical properties of o/w emulsions stabilised by cereal β-glucan and other stabilisers.

The oil-in-water emulsion system is very common in food production. The aim of this study was the evaluation of extracted (enzymatic treatment) cereal β-glucan as a stabiliser in comparison to other commonly used food additives. Oat (OBG) and barley (BBG) β-glucan were applied at concentrations of 1%, 2% and 4%; gum guar, xanthan gum, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose at 0.5% each; lecithin at 2%; polyglycerol polyricinoleate at 4%; and, finally pectin at 3.2%. The following physical properties were examined: emulsion stability, foaming capacity and stability, droplet size distribution and viscosity. The results showed that cereal β-glucan reached very good emulsion stability (>80% after 14 days) and relatively high values of apparent viscosity (up to 12,243 cPa·s for 4% OBG, and 2264 cPa·s for 4% BBG; γ̇=20 1/s, day 14). The droplet size of barley β-glucan emulsion ranged between 14.88 and 60.06 μm, and of oat β-glucan emulsion between 15.68 and 46.22 μm. The results showed that cereal β-glucan acts like a viscosifier and can be applied in a variety of food products to improve their texture and viscosity.