Nanocellulose prepared from shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) stipe by high pressure homogenization and the gel-like emulsions stabilized by them.

Shiitake mushroom is popularly consumed thanks to its umami taste and good flavor, but its stipe is often discarded due to the rough texture and poor chewiness. In the study, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) was applied to modify the physiochemical properties of shiitake mushroom nanocellulose (SMNC), and the SMNCs were used to constructing gel-like emulsions (EGs). Atomic force microscope and cryo-scanning electron microscope observations showed that SMNCs had shorter length after HPH treatment. They exhibited improved dispersion, increased gel strength and was able to form dense network structure. Interfacial property analysis revealed that HPH increased the hydrostatic contact angle of SNMCs but lower the interfacial tension. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction investigation confirmed that HPH stripped partial amorphous regions and increased crystal area proportion. SMNCs could be used to prepare EGs with 50 % oil phase content. EGs prepared from SMNCs treated with >40 MPa exhibited smaller emulsion size, higher emulsion densities and storage modulus. Stability test suggests that they had higher storage stability and lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substance value. Thus, HPH can provide SMNCs with good interfacial properties, and they can be used to prepare highly stable EGs, which are expected to be applied in foods.