Foam and emulsion properties - Effect of protein characteristics on surface and foam properties

11 important questions on Foam and emulsion properties - Effect of protein characteristics on surface and foam properties

What is the surface load?

The amount of adsorbed protein molecules.

How are the speed of adsorption kinetics related to the foam properties?

A faster adsorption gives better foam forming properties.

Ovalbumin and Beta-lactoglobulin differ in the foam forming properties, why?

Hydrophobicity. Beta-lactoglobulin has a higher hydrophobicity than ovalbumin. This gives a faster adsorption and better foam forming properties.
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How can you increase the hydrophobicity of a protein?

Adding fatty acid chains covalently to the protein (lipophilization).

How are adsorption kinetics and protein concentration related?

A higher concentration shows a faster increase of surface pressure with time, so a more stable foam.
At a really high concentration, a decrease in foam stability can be seen.

How are temperature and adsorption kinetics related?

With increasing temperature, the initial adsorption rate also increased.

How are the foaming properties of lysozyme related to heating?

Longer heat treatment gives a higher stability.

How are the adsorption kinetics of lysozyme related to the heating?

Heated lysozyme all had faster adsorption that non-heated lysozyme. However, the adsorption kinetics were the same (same increase in surface pressure in time) for 30, 60 and 90 minutes heating.

What are and are not the reasons of heated lysozyme giving a better foam stability?

Are not
  • Aggregation was not found

Are
  • Heating gave higher values of 'exposed' hydrophobicity, due to unfolding and incomplete refolding of the protein --> increase hydrophobicity is related with the higher foam stability, expressed by the foam half-life time


The further increase of exposed hydrophobicity with increasing heating time, did not lead to faster adsorption kinetics, as measured by surface pressure increase.

How are the powder properties related to the foam stability?

When non-dissolved powder particles are removed by centrifuging and microfiltration, the foam stability is increased.

Depending on the shape and wettability of particles, 2 things can happen

  1. Dewetting and coalescence. Squared particles. Particles dewetted by the liquid in the film. This causes the film between the particles to become thinner and thinner, until at some point the film collapses. This results in coalescence of the foam bubbles and decrease of foam volume. Could be that at a higher concentration, they actually provide a stabilising effect.
  2. Bridging and stability. Spherical particles. Particles may stay wetted by the liquid. The presence of the particles may even prevent the liquid from the film from draining. As a result, the film thickness remains large and stable against rupture.

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