Effect of ionic type of celluloses attached to pea protein on high internal phase Pickering emulsions properties

The synergistic effect of protein and polysaccharide particles can enhance the stability of high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs). However, the impact of polysaccharide ionic properties on the preparation and characterization of co-stabilized HIPPEs remains unexplored. In this study, complex particles were prepared by combining pea protein (PP) with cationic cellulose (polyquaternium cellulose, PQC), neutral cellulose (hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, HPMC) and anionic cellulose (carboxymethyl cellulose, CMC). The addition of celluloses improved the wettability of PP, and the contact angle of PP-PQC 1.0 % was 89.65°. The microstructure of the PP-PQC HIPPEs showed a more complete interfacial structure at the oil/water interface than other cellulose types. Rheological analysis showed that the storage modulus and loss modulus of PP-PQC HIPPEs were higher than PP-HPMC and PP-CMC, indicating that HIPPEs stabilized by PP-PQC exhibited stronger gel properties. The results of this study will provide a potential alternative for developing low-fat restructured products.