Impact of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Emulsifying Properties of Whey Protein Isolate–Chitosan Mixtures

The influence of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on the emulsifying properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) and chitosan mixtures in sunflower oil-in-water emulsion has been investigated at pH 4.0. WPI and chitosan mixtures at various ratios were treated at pressure levels in the range of 0–600 MPa for 10–30 min. The emulsifying properties of the mixtures were analyzed by dynamic light scattering and a centrifugal sedimentation technique. HHP treatments of the mixtures resulted in improvement in their emulsifying properties, with the emulsions formed showing more than threefold reductions in droplet size, much more homogeneous droplet distribution, and better creaming stability. The higher the treatment pressure was, the smaller the droplet size and more stable the emulsions were, with those prepared with the mixtures treated at 600 MPa showing no noticeable creaming after 30 days of storage at ambient temperature. The ratio of WPI to chitosan and treatment time also affected the emulsification stability of the mixtures, with a WPI to chitosan ratio of 1:4 (w/w) and treatment time of 20 min found to be the optimum conditions. These results showed that HHP could be a useful method for enhancing the emulsifying properties of protein–polysaccharide mixtures.