Hemp protein isolate-polysaccharide complex coacervates and their application as emulsifiers in oil-in-water emulsions

Complex coacervates of hemp protein isolate (HPI) and three different polysaccharides (gum Arabic, sodium alginate and pectin) were prepared and used as the emulsifiers in three different oils (hemp, essential and coconut oils) to produce oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The effects of polysaccharide and oil types and the methods of applying these complex coacervates as emulsifiers (in-situ and ex-situ) on the stability of emulsion were investigated in terms of storage time and temperature and the presence of salt. The results showed that the characteristics of emulsions, especially their stability, were affected by the type of polysaccharides, type of oil and the way these complex coacervates were applied as emulsifiers during the preparation of emulsions. The emulsion of hemp oil prepared using HPI-gum Arabic complex coacervate as emulsifier had the best storage stability. The emulsion prepared by in-situ method had better storage stability when stored at 4 °C. The emulsion stabilized by the ex-situ method was less sensitive to temperature and ionic strengths.