Synergistic effects of starch nanoparticles and chitin nanofibers on the stability of oil-in-water Pickering emulsions.

Starch nanoparticles (SNPs) and Chitin nanofibers (ChFs) have been recognized to be effective for emulsion stabilization. Hence, the use of multiple solid nanoparticles seems to be a promising approach to improve emulsion stability. This work aims to studyemulsions stabilized by a combination of SNPs and ChFs at different concentrations over storage time and different environmental conditions. Sonicated emulsions were found to have a significantly higher stability compared to non-sonicated emulsions. Furthermore, SNP/ChF-stabilized emulsions showed smaller droplet sizes and higher stability within a wide range of temperatures and pH, suggesting a synergistic effect between both particles as stabilizers. The addition of NaCl showed limited impact, particularly in concentrations up to 200 mM, on the improvement of the stability of emulsions. The combined use of SNPs and ChFs allowed emulsion stabilization at lower solid nanoparticles concentrations than when only either SNPs or ChFs were used.