Effect of tannic acid modification on the interface and emulsification properties of zein colloidal particles

Abstract BACKGROUND Interface modification driven by supramolecular self‐assembly has been accepted as a valuable strategy for emulsion stabilization enhancement. However, there has been a dearth of comparative research on the effect of simple complexation and assembly from the perspective of the responsible mechanism. RESULTS The present study selected zein and tannic acid (TA) as representative protein and polyphenol modules for self‐assembly (coined as TA‐modified zein particle and TA‐zein complex particle) to explore the surface properties and interfacial behavior, as well as the stability of constructed Pickering emulsions to obtain the regulation law of different modification methods on the interfacial behavior of colloidal particles. The results demonstrated that TA‐modified zein colloidal particles potentially improved the emulsifying properties. When the TA concentration was 3 mmol L−1, the optimized TA‐modified zein particle was nano‐sized (109.83 nm) and had advantageous interfacial properties, including sharply reduced surface hydrophobicity, as well as a low diffusion rate at the oil/water interface. As a result, the shelf life of Pickering emulsion containing 50% oil phase was extended to 90 days. CONCLUSION Through multi‐angled research on the properties of the interfacial membrane, improvement of emulsion stability was a result of the formation of viscoelastic interfacial film that resulted from the decrease of absorption rate between particles and interface. Using refined regulation to investigate the role of different sample preparation methods from a mechanistic perspective. Overall, the present study has provided a reference for TA to regulate the surface properties and interface behavior of zein colloidal particles, enriched the understanding of colloidal interface assembly, and provided a theoretical basis for the quality control of interface‐oriented food systems. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.