Thermal treatment to form a complex surface layer of sodium caseinate and gum arabic on oil–water interfaces

This study reported an alternative approach to electrostatic interaction to generate a biopolymer complex surface layer on emulsion droplets. By increasing the temperature, a complex surface layer of sodium caseinate (CN) and gum arabic (GA) on emulsion droplets could be formed either through the adsorption of complexes formed in the solution or through direct complexation of CN and GA with the surface. Mixtures of CN and GA were heated at pH 7 and then used to form oil-in-water emulsions at high temperatures. Changes in the average particle size and the ζ-potential of the emulsions indicated that complexes of GA and CN adsorbed to the interface at temperatures above 60 °C. A thick complex surface layer was also observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The addition of GA or CN to emulsions made with CN or GA resulted in an apparent binding of GA or CN to the emulsion droplets that depended on the sequence of addition. This temperature-induced formation of a complex surface layer was considered to be due to hydrophobically driven complexation between CN and the protein fraction of GA. The formation of the complex surface layer was dependent on the concentration, the temperature, and the addition order of the second component. This finding may imply an alternative option for the formation of biopolymer multilayers or complex surface layers on colloidal particles.