Flexible protein nanofibrils fabricated in aqueous ethanol: Physical characteristics and properties of forming emulsions of conjugated linolenic acid

Protein nanofibrils have recently shown unique properties preparing emulsions, with the stability improved after fibrillation of glycated proteins. The objective of the present study was to study physical and chemical properties of emulsions prepared with nanofibrils of different flexibility. Increasing ethanol level during heating aqueous whey protein isolate (WPI) solutions at pH 2.0 and 85 °C increased the amount of semiflexible and highly flexible worm-like nanofibrils, which was further increased for WPI glycated with lactose (gWPI). The increased abundance of worm-like nanofibrils and the increased hydrophobicity facilitated the adsorption and packing of the gWPI nanofibrils on oil droplets, which, together with the improved nanofibril thermal stability, improved thermal stability of conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) emulsions than the corresponding WPI nanofibril emulsions. The worm-like nanofibrils also improved the oxidative stability of CLA in emulsions. The present findings suggest protein nanofibrils with tunable material properties may be significant for functional foods applications.