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Food Hydrocolloids 17 (2003) 199206

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Enhancement of gel strength by application of thermal treatments in


highly flocculated emulsions
J.E. Morosa, F. Cordobesa, J.M. Francob,*, C. Gallegosb
a
Departamento de Ingeniera Qumica, Facultad de Qumica, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
b
Departamento de Ingeniera Qumica, Universidad de Huelva, Escuela Politecnica Superior, 21819, Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain
Received 29 January 2002; revised 15 February 2002; accepted 15 May 2002

Abstract
Thermal-induced changes of the rheological behavior of flocculated emulsions through the optimization of in situ thermorheological
treatments, as well as the effect that several compositional variables (oil fraction, egg yolk concentration or cholesterol reduction level) exert
on the enhancement of gel strength, were investigated. With this aim, oil-in-water emulsions were prepared using a spray-dried egg product.
Different temperature ramps under oscillatory shear and droplet size distribution measurements were carried out. An increase in temperature
produces, first of all, an increase in the storage modulus up to a critical temperature, which depends on heating rate. Subsequently, a dramatic
decrease in the viscoelastic functions occurs, due to emulsion breakdown. However, the application of upward/downward temperature
cycles, setting the maximum temperature at 67 8C, avoids emulsion breakdown and yield significantly higher values of the rheological
functions in comparison to those found with fresh emulsions, in spite of the thermal-induced droplet coalescence observed. The final values
of linear viscoelastic functions and droplet size depend on the type of cycles applied, which are based on different heating rates or times at the
maximum temperature, and emulsion composition.
q 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd All rights reserved.
Keywords: Thermal treatment; Emulsion; Gel; Rheology; Viscoelasticity

The concept of gel state has been traditionally linked to ated to a polymer network. In this case, the properties of the
rheology. As has been summarized (Ross-Murphy, 1995), resulting gel are determined by the polymer matrix and the
different polymer associations may give either chemically filler particles (Tolstoguzov & Braudo, 1983). Active filler
cross-linked materials, also called true gels, characterized has strong interaction with the gel matrix and, normally,
by an infinite relaxation time and an equilibrium modulus; enhance the gel strength (Chen & Dickinson, 1998; Ring &
or entanglements networks, also called pseudogels, Stainsby, 1982). In the case of oil-in-water food emulsions,
formed by physical interactions among polymer chains. such as mayonnaise and salad dressings, oil droplets are
First category has been extensively discussed in several usually stabilized by proteins, or mixtures of proteins and
polymer monographs (Ferry, 1980; Flory, 1953; Gupta, low-molecular-weight emulsifier, and frequently appear
2000). Second behavior is usually shown by food biopoly- suspended in a gel continuous phase containing a biopoly-
mers and is dynamically described by the reptation theory mer that acts as a thickener agent.
(Doi & Edwards, 1987). Typical mechanical spectra of Dickinson and co-workers (Chen & Dickinson, 1998;
entanglements networks are characterized by a terminal Dickinson & Cassanova, 1999; Dickinson & Hong, 1995;
zone at low frequencies, where the gel flows as a pure liquid, Dickinson & Yamamoto, 1996a,b; Dickinson, Hong, &
followed by a plateau region at higher frequencies. In Yamamoto, 1996) have extensively studied, during the last
addition to this, the term particle gels is applied to systems few years, the rheological properties of heat-set whey
where aggregated colloidal particles conform the structural protein-stabilized emulsion gels and the in situ gelation
units (Dickinson & Hong, 1995). Usually, these colloidal process through small-deformation oscillatory measure-
particles are coated with macromolecules or exist incorpor- ments. In all cases, the fresh emulsion was a very low
viscous liquid-like system and became a gel network by
* Corresponding author. Fax: 34-959-017477. increasing temperature. Thus, a cross-over between G0 and
E-mail address: franco@uhu.es (J.M. Franco). G00 was noticed at a relatively high temperature. This
0268-005X/03/$ - see front matter q 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 2 6 8 - 0 0 5 X ( 0 2 ) 0 0 0 5 2 - 8
200 J.E. Moros et al. / Food Hydrocolloids 17 (2003) 199206

thermorheological behavior was shown by emulsions with or from a cholesterol extraction processes were used as
relatively low volume fractions of oil phase. However, little emulsifiers. The composition of this product may be found
or no information has been found in the literature on the elsewhere (Moros et al., 2002b). Commercial sunflower
improvement of the strength of highly concentrated gel-like oil (Koipe S.A., Jaen, Spain) was used as received. Vinegar
emulsions by means of thermorheological treatments. and salt were supplied by Hijos de Ybarra S.A. (Seville,
As has been pointed out by different authors, a previous Spain).
thermal-induced denaturation of egg yolk aggregates
(Guerrero & Ball, 1994) or vegetable proteins (Franco,
1.2. Emulsion preparation
Partal, Ruiz-Marquez, Conde, & Gallegos, 2000) signifi-
cantly increases the values of the rheological functions of
Different o/w emulsions having an oil concentration of
the final emulsion. In addition to this, the application of
relatively high temperatures during the emulsification between 65 and 77.5% w/w were prepared. These emulsions
process improves the stability and rheology of native egg were stabilized by a processed egg yolk product. This
yolk-stabilized emulsions (Franco, Guerrero, & Gallegos, product had to be reconstituted with water before emulsi-
1995). An even more severe previous thermal treatment on fication. The reconstitution process was always done by
native egg yolk is the spray-drying process, usually required keeping the solid egg/water weight relationship at 1:1.2.
to microbiologically preserve the final product, or as the first Processed-egg product concentration ranged between 3 and
step previous to a cholesterol extraction process (Bringe & 8% w/w. Other ingredients added to the emulsions were 3%
Cheng, 1995; Moros, Franco, & Gallegos, 2002a). The w/w vinegar, 0.4% w/w salt and the corresponding amount
rheology of spray-dried yolk stabilized emulsions is of distilled water. Emulsions were prepared, by using a
dramatically different to that found with native egg yolk- rotor stator turbine (Ultra Turrax T-50, Ika, Staufen,
stabilized emulsions due to a significant denaturation of egg Germany) for 3.5 min at 6000 rpm, at room temperature
yolk lipoproteins, which confers a marked gel-like behavior and were stored at 5 8C. All the emulsions were stable at
to the egg product (Moros, Franco, & Gallegos, 2002b). least for 3 months.
On the other hand, gelation is an important phenomenon
for controlling textural properties of different food systems. 1.3. Droplet size distribution
Thus, the microstructure of liquids may be converted into
non-pourable networks by applying thermal treatments. DSD measurements were determined by laser light
Several attempts (Franco, Raymundo, Sousa, & Gallegos, scattering using a Malvern Mastersizer X-analyser (Malvern
1998; Hill, Mitchell, & Sherman, 1995) have been made to Instruments Ltd., UK) in the Fourier conformation (focus:
correlate rheological and sensorial parameters in order to 100 mm) in a range of droplet size between 0.2 and 150 mm.
predict the consumer acceptance although, evidently, this Aliquots of emulsions were carefully dispersed step by step
depends on social and cultural habits. In addition to this, a applying gentle agitation in order to disrupt droplets flocs.
great variety of food products may experience thermal-
Values of the apparent volumetric mean droplet diameter,
induced changes from manufacture to consumption, which
d4,3, was obtained as follows (Orr, 1983):
could modify physical and sensorial properties. In this
article we show how highly flocculated emulsions, in P 4
nd
principle with a soft gel-like behavior achieved during the d4;3 P i i3 1
emulsification process, are susceptible to increase their gel- ni di
like behavior by applying different thermal treatments on
fresh emulsions. With these considerations, the main where ni is the number of droplets having a diameter di.
objective of this paper was to investigate the evolution of Values of this apparent mean droplet diameter were
the rheological properties, analyzed during the application compared to those obtained by dispersing the emulsion in
of in situ several thermal treatments, of o/w emulsions a 1% w/w polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether (t-
stabilized by egg yolk submitted to a previous spray-drying OPE-10) solution (Sigma, St Louis, USA). This method has
process. Moreover, the influences that oil and egg yolk been proposed as a simple way to disaggregate flocs (Chen
concentrations, as well as the cholesterol reduction level, & Dickinson, 1998; Kim, Renkema, & van Vliet, 2001; Le
exert on the thermorheological behavior of processed-egg Denmat, Anton, & Gandemar, 1999), which is based on the
yolk-stabilized emulsions were studied. displacement of the protein from the interface by an excess
of a low-molecular-weight surfactant. The values of d4,3
1. Experimental obtained following both the methods differ only by 0.6 mm
for the highest concentrated emulsions and the deviation is
1.1. Materials inferior to d4;3 ^ 0:3 in most of the emulsions studied.
Taking into account sampling and measurement errors
Processed egg yolk products, (Ovosec, Valladolid, d4;3 ^ 0:4 mm; these differences can be considered not
Spain) resulting from a spray-drying (80 85 8C, 4.5 min) significant.
J.E. Moros et al. / Food Hydrocolloids 17 (2003) 199206 201

Table 1
Different cycles of temperature applied on the emulsions studied

Cycle Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

A 258C ! 808C(3000 s)
B1 258C ! 678C(750 s) 678C ! 258C(900 s) 25 8C(1200 s)
B2 258C ! 678C(750 s) 67 8C(1500 s) 678C ! 258C(900 s) 25 8C(1200 s)
B3 258C ! 678C(750 s) 67 8C(500 s) 678C ! 258C(900 s) 25 8C(1200 s)
B4 258C ! 678C(750 s) 67 8C(500 s) 678C ! 258C(1800 s) 25 8C(1800 s)

1.4. Rheological tests extensive bridging flocculation process (Franco, Berjano, &
Gallegos, 1997; Franco et al., 2000). According to this, an
Dynamic measurements were carried with a RS-100 apparent plateau region in the mechanical spectrum of these
controlled-stress rheometer from Haake (Karslruhe, emulsions was always observed.
Germany), using a cone and plate geometry (60 mm
diameter, 48 angle). All samples were maintained in the 2.1. Upward temperature ramps
tool for 20 min before running any measurement. A stress
sweep test was always previously performed, at a frequency In relation to the thermorheological behavior of the
of 1 Hz, in order to establish the linear viscoelasticity range. emulsions studied, the linear viscoelasticity functions
All the dynamic frequency sweep measurements were done evolve regularly with temperature, in the low temperature
inside the linear viscoelastic region, in a frequency range of range (up to 40 8C). This fact allows the use of an empirical
1022 102 rad/s. A Peltier heating unit fitted to the static superposition method (Franco et al., 1995; Partal, Guerrero,
plate of the tool was used to carry out temperature ramps by & Gallegos, 1998) in order to generalize this dependence.
dynamic viscoelasticity monitoring. Temperature ramps However, in some cases, long-term measurements such as
were performed between 25 and 80 8C, at a constant frequency sweep tests do not allow to achieve relatively
frequency of 1 Hz. The applied shear stress was self- high temperatures, since the combined effect of time and
adjusted in order to keep measurements within the linear temperature destabilizes the emulsion. In this sense, the
response regime. The different temperature cycles applied application of ramps of temperature, using a Peltier system,
on the emulsions are shown in Table 1. on linear dynamic viscoelasticity measurements, at rather
high frequencies, avoids this problem. Fig. 1 shows a typical
evolution of the dynamic viscoelasticity functions with
temperature during a temperature sweep test. As has been
2. Results and discussion
previously mentioned, the values of G0 are almost an order
higher than the G00 values for the whole temperature range
As has been shown in a previous work (Moros et al.,
studied. The most remarkable result is an initial decrease in
2002b), the evolution of the dynamic viscoelastic functions
the dynamic functions up to around 45 8C, similarly to that
with frequency for spray-dried egg yolk-stabilized emul- found during frequency sweep tests for other emulsions
sions is typical of protein-stabilized emulsions with a well- (Partal et al., 1998), and a subsequent increase up to around
developed elastic network, due to the occurrence of an 70 8C, related to a heat-induced rearrangement of the egg
yolk lipoproteins located at the interface of oil droplets,
which act as active filler particles enhancing gel strength
(Chen & Dickinson, 1998). The maximum value of G0
appears at temperatures quite close to the gelation
temperature of native egg yolk, approximately 70 8C,
depending on its concentration, which may be detected by
a cross-over between the storage and loss moduli or a drastic
change in apparent viscosity (Le Denmat et al., 1999;
Miranda, Cordobes, Guerrero, & Partal, 2000). A further
increase in temperature produces the rupture of the emulsion
and, consequently, a dramatic decrease in both viscoelastic
functions. The above-mentioned in situ enhancement of the
emulsion gel strength occurs in spite of the previous egg
yolk spray-drying process, which significantly denatures
Fig. 1. Evolution of the linear viscoelastic functions with temperature
lipoprotein complexes. Obviously, the heat-induced
(cycle A) for an emulsion containing 75% w/w oil and 5% w/w spray-dried increase in the rheological properties found with processed
egg yolk. egg yolk-stabilized emulsions is much lower than that found
202 J.E. Moros et al. / Food Hydrocolloids 17 (2003) 199206

Fig. 2. Evolution of the storage modulus with temperature (cycle A), as a


Fig. 3. Evolution of the droplet size distribution and volume diameter with
function of heating time, for an emulsion containing 70% w/w oil and 5%
temperature (cycle A) for an emulsion containing 70% w/w oil and 5% w/w
w/w spray-dried egg yolk.
spray-dried egg yolk.

for non-processed protein-stabilized emulsions (Chen & and up to 70 8C), accordingly to the heat-induced gelation
Dickinson, 1998; Dickinson & Casanova, 1999). process observed in the evolution of G0 with temperature,
As the contribution of G0 to the complex modulus, G p, is which dampens the effect of thermal agitation on oil
much more important than that of G00 and the loss tangent droplets as a result of an increased bulk phase visco-
remains practically constant in the range of temperature elasticity. The increase in the storage modulus in this
studied, the study of the thermorheological behavior of these upward temperature ramp region is attributed to the
emulsions has been centered on the evolution of the storage aggregation of egg yolk lipoproteins, which favors the
modulus values during the different time temperature increase in interdroplet interactions thorough hydrophobic
cycles applied. interactions and physical entanglements, in spite of a
The degree of protein denaturation depends on tempera- slightly larger mean droplet diameter. This is a consequence
ture, but also on heating time as has been previously of an increased degradation and spreading of low-density-
reported for vegetable protein-stabilized emulsions (Franco lipoproteins (LDL) micelles providing more active protein
et al., 2000). Fig. 2 shows the evolution of the storage segments for interactions (Kiosseoglou & Sherman, 1983,
modulus during the application of different upward
1984). Finally, at temperatures higher than 70 8C, the
temperature ramps, from 25 to 80 8C, for an emulsion
coalescence of oil droplets is predominant, as may be
containing 70% w/w oil and 5% w/w spray-dried egg yolk.
deduced from the volume diameter values obtained for the
As may be observed, all curves show the same qualitative
sample at 80 8C (Fig. 3). This temperature range favors
behavior formerly described. It is apparent that the values of
emulsion breakdown, which is visually detected during the
the storage modulus are lower as heating rate increases up to
measurement.
temperatures of around 70 8C, although this effect is not
significant p . 0:05 for heating rates lower than
0.0183 8C/s. This effect is related to the temperature at 2.2. Upward/downward temperature ramps
which protein denaturation begins (minimum in G0 versus
temperature), which increases as heating rate does. In In order to compare the rheological properties of
addition to this, emulsion breakdown also occurs at higher emulsions submitted to thermal treatments with those
temperature as heating rate increases. Thus, for instance, the found using a fresh spray-dried egg yolk-stabilized emul-
maximum value of G0 is shifted from 70 to 75 8C when sion, different cycles of upward/downward temperature
heating rate is increased from 0.0183 to 0.055 8C/s. ramps were applied (see Table 1). Emulsion breakdown was
Fig. 3 shows different DSD curves corresponding to avoided by setting the maximum temperature at 67 8C. The
samples at different stages of an upward temperature ramp cycles of temperature applied on the sample differed in the
(heating rate: 0.0183 8C/s), as well as the values of the elapsed time during which the sample was heated at 67 8C or
volume diameter. As can be observed, the DSD curves shift in the further cooling rate. Fig. 4 shows the evolution of the
to larger diameters as temperature is raised between 25 and storage modulus with time during the application of
40 8C (critical temperature for the progress of protein different cycles of temperature on the sample. This
denaturation). This fact explains the decreasing values of G0 evolution is always qualitatively similar and comparable
in this range of temperatures. The decrease in droplet to that found by other authors (Chen & Dickinson, 1998;
diameter is restrained at higher temperatures (above 40 8C Dickinson & Hong, 1995; Kim et al., 2001), who have
J.E. Moros et al. / Food Hydrocolloids 17 (2003) 199206 203

Fig. 4. Evolution of the storage modulus with time, during the application of
different cycles of temperatures, for an emulsion containing 70% w/w oil
and 5% w/w spray-dried egg yolk. Fig. 5. Evolution the droplet size distribution and volume diameter with
time, during the application of a temperature cycle B3, for an emulsion
studied the gelation of several protein-stabilized emulsions. containing 70% w/w oil and 5% w/w spray-dried egg yolk.
As may be observed in Fig. 4, in the first region, which
corresponds to a temperature range comprised between 25 emulsions subjected to the same thermal treatments and
and 67 8C, the evolution of G0 is typical of that found during very similar apparent volumetric mean droplet diameters
an upward temperature ramp (i.e. cycle A). In the second (Chen & Dickinson, 1998, 2000). In addition to this, milk
region, where temperature is kept constant at 67 8C for protein-stabilized fresh emulsions showed an almost pure
different elapsed times, G0 shows a rapid increase and then viscous behavior with very low values of G0 at the beginning
levels off. If temperature is kept constant at 67 8C for 500 s of the thermal treatment. This comparison indicates that egg
(cycles B3 and B4) the values of G0 are significantly higher yolk-stabilized emulsions are much less susceptible to
enhance gel strength than milk protein systems.
than those obtained by cooling the sample immediately after
The DSD of the emulsion submitted to cycle B3 was
the maximum temperature was reached (cycle B1). On the
measured at different stages of this cycle. As may be
contrary, when the sample was maintained at 67 8C for a
observed in Fig. 5, an increase in droplet diameter occurs
much longer period of time, i.e. 1500 s (cycle B2), a slight
when the sample is heated up to 67 8C, by decreasing the
decrease in G0 is shown. The above-mentioned results may
number of small droplets (secondary maximum of the
be again explained taking into account the aggregation of
distribution). The DSD also shifts to larger diameters whilst
denatured lipoproteins, mainly livetins and LDL (Le
the maximum temperature is maintained. Finally, both the
Denmat et al., 1999) due to hydrophobic interactions
DSD and the volume diameter of the emulsion do not
(Kiosseoglou & Sherman, 1983). However, if the sample
change with a further decrease in temperature. However, in
is maintained at high temperature during an extended period spite of the above-mentioned thermal-induced coalescence
(cycle B2) a subsequent significant coalescence of oil process, the application of a relatively gentle thermal
droplets may be observed (i.e. d4;3 25:2 mm after the treatment, like cycle B3, avoids the breakdown of the
application of cycle B2 versus d4;3 16:4 mm after the emulsion and enhances the gel strength of fresh emulsions
application of cycle B3). Finally, a further sample cooling stabilized by a highly denatured egg yolk product in contrast
produces a new increase in G0 mainly due to hydrogen to the behavior found when temperatures higher than 70 8C
bonding (Beveridge, Jones, & Tung, 1984). The cooling rate (i.e. upward temperature ramp A) were applied on the
seems not to affect the final value of the linear viscoelastic emulsion. This gel strength enhancement may be clearly
functions, as may be deduced from the comparison of the observed in Fig. 6, where the evolution of the dynamic
final values of G0 after the application of cycles B3 and B4, functions with frequency, inside the linear viscoelastic
respectively. Afterwards, the values of G0 do not change by region, for a fresh emulsion is compared with that obtained
keeping constant temperature at 25 8C, which indicates an using a thermally treated emulsion (i.e. cycle B3). As may
irreversibility of the gel reinforcement process, in contrast be seen, the plateau region, characterized by a minimum in
to the results found in pure gelation processes of proteins G00 , changes after the application of cycle B3 to a linear and
and other biopolymers (Chen & Dickinson, 2000; Clark & almost parallel evolution of G0 and G00 with frequency,
Lee-Tuffnell, 1986; Guenet, 1992; Ross-Murphy, 1995). typical of strong gels (Ross-Murphy, 1995). Furthermore,
On the other hand, absolute values of G0 for emulsions after this thermal treatment yields higher values of G0 and G00 , as
these thermal treatments (i.e. cycle B2, B3, or B4) were of well as a relatively more elastic response as may be inferred
the order of three times lower as compared to those found from the values of the loss tangent, tan d; especially at low
in the literature obtained with milk protein-stabilized frequencies (Fig. 6).
204 J.E. Moros et al. / Food Hydrocolloids 17 (2003) 199206

Fig. 6. Evolution of the linear viscoelastic functions with frequency for an


emulsion containing 70% w/w oil and 5% w/w spray-dried egg yolk, before
and after the application of a temperature cycle B3.

2.3. Influence of composition

Fig. 7 shows the evolution of G0 with time, during the


application of a temperature cycle B3, as a function of oil
content, spray-dried egg yolk concentration and the level of
cholesterol extraction (expressed as the amount of choles-
terol removed). As can be observed, the higher the oil
weight fraction is, the higher the values of G0 are (Fig. 7(a)),
as a result of increasing interdroplet interactions. Similar
Fig. 7. Evolution of the storage modulus with time, during the application of
results have been found, for relatively low oil volume a temperature cycle B3, as a function of (a) oil weight fraction, (b) spray-
fractions, in soybean protein gels (Kim et al., 2001). In this dried yolk concentration and (c) level of cholesterol extraction (%
sense, as has been previously pointed out (Chen & cholesterol removed).
Dickinson, 1998), oil droplets exert a double function,
acting as space fillers (Langley & Green, 1989) but also final increase in G0 during step 3. As may be seen in Table 2,
helping to enhance the bulk gel structure through inter- slopes n and p significantly increase with oil content.
actions between adsorbed or not adsorbed emulsifier Fig. 7(b) shows the influence of spray-dried egg yolk
molecules, specially proteins (Franco et al., 1997). In concentration on the thermorheological behavior of the
addition to this, emulsion thermal susceptibility is more emulsions studied. Once again the evolution of G0 with time
pronounced for concentrated emulsions, which may be is qualitatively similar for all the systems studied, although
related to lower mean droplet diameters (see for instance emulsion thermal susceptibility is much more pronounced
Moros et al., 2002a) inducing a more extensive network as egg yolk concentration increases. This can be also
prior to heat treatments. As Chen and Dickinson (1998) observed in Table 3. Thus, the values of the slopes of G0 versus
reported, a higher preaggregation affect the build-up of the time, in the above-mentioned three different steps, dramati-
gel network during the heat treatment. This can be observed cally increase with spray-dried egg yolk concentration. This
in Table 2, where the average slope of G0 versus time in the fact may be again related to the decrease observed in mean
different regions of cycle B3 are shown: n, first decrease in droplet diameter as egg yolk concentration increases
G0 during step 1; m, first increase in G0 during step 2; and p,
Table 3
Table 2 Values of the average slopes of G0 versus time for emulsions containing
Values of the average slopes of G0 versus time for emulsions containing 5% 70% w/w oil, as a function of spray-dried egg yolk concentration
w/w spray-dried egg yolk, as a function of oil concentration
Yolk (wt%) n (Pa/8C) m (Pa/8C) p (Pa/8C)
Oil (wt%) n (Pa/8C) m (Pa/8C) p (Pa/8C)
8 26.8 16.0 10.1
77.5 27.7 4.7 8.5 7 23.0 14.5 10.0
75.0 27.1 4.7 7.6 6 22.7 5.8 6.1
72.5 24.5 4.5 4.7 5 22.1 4.6 4.1
70.0 22.1 4.6 4.1 4 21.5 2.0 1.8
65.0 20.8 1.0 2.1 3 20.9 0.6 1.1
J.E. Moros et al. / Food Hydrocolloids 17 (2003) 199206 205

Table 4 modulus up to a critical temperature, which depends on the


Values of the average slopes of G0 versus time for an emulsion containing heating rate, followed by a dramatic decrease in the
70% w/w oil and 5% w/w spray-dried egg yolk, as a function of cholesterol
viscoelastic functions as a consequence of emulsion break-
extraction degree
down. On the other hand, the application of upward/down-
achol (wt%) n (Pa/8C) m (Pa/8C) p (Pa/8C) ward temperature cycles, setting the maximum temperature
at 67 8C, avoids emulsion breakdown and yield significantly
0 22.3 5.5 5.0 higher values of the rheological functions in comparison to
14 22.5 4.0 5.2
those found with fresh emulsions, in spite of the thermal-
24 21.7 6.1 4.5
43 22.3 5.5 5.0 induced droplet coalescence observed. However, absolute
81 22.8 5.8 4.3 values of G0 after the application of these thermal treatments
were significantly lower as compared to those found in the
literature (Chen & Dickinson, 1998, 1999, 2000) obtained
(see Moros et al., 2002a). It is also worth pointing out the with milk protein-stabilized emulsions subjected to the
extremely low thermal susceptibility of the emulsion same thermal treatments containing similar protein concen-
containing the lowest spray-dried egg yolk concentration trations, even with much lower fraction of dispersed phase.
(Fig. 7(b) and Table 3). Consequently, it can be inferred that These experimental results clearly indicate that egg yolk-
an improvement of gel strength occurs by adding an excess stabilized emulsions are much less susceptible to enhance
of this emulsifier. This can be explained by a greater density gel strength than milk protein systems. In addition to this,
of interdroplets entanglements involving adsorbed but also relative thermal susceptibility to enhance gel strength
non-adsorbed proteins (Dickinson & Hong, 1995). depends on emulsion composition being more pronounced
Finally, since one of the main applications of spray-dried for high concentrations of egg yolk and high weight
egg yolk is the development of low-in-cholesterol products, fractions of the dispersed phase, which could be related to
Fig. 7(c) shows the thermorheological behavior of emul- lower mean droplet diameters.
sions stabilized by a spray-dried egg yolk submitted to
different stages of cholesterol extraction. As has been
previously pointed out (Moros et al., 2002a), an increased Acknowledgments
cholesterol reduction in emulsions containing the same
amount of cholesterol-reduced egg yolk yields higher values This work is a part of the research projects ALI96-0892
of the linear viscoelastic functions (see Fig. 7(c)). If the total and ALI99-0502, sponsored by CICYT (Spain). The authors
amount of cholesterol-reduced egg yolk is fixed in the gratefully acknowledge its financial support.
emulsion formulation, a higher level of cholesterol extrac-
tion implies a higher concentration of the main surface-
active agents, lipoproteins and phospholipids, which favors References
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