Development of sugarcane bagasse bioparticles: stabilization of plant-based Pickering emulsions and emerging applications for sustainable agro-industry.

• Grant number: 23/01873-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Aliciane Fontenele Domingues
• Grantee: Maria Aliciane Fontenele Domingues
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant(s): 23/17570-6 - EMU granted in process 2023/01873-0: polarized light optical microscope Olympus, AP.EMU

Abstract

Seeking an effective alternative that is sustainable for the environment, healthy and clean for the consumer, and presents good economic results, this project presents a proposal for the production of sugarcane bagasse bioparticles to be used as an ingredient plant based in the development of healthier and sustainable food emulsions. Pickering emulsion is a type of emulsion stabilized only by solid particles located at the oil-water interface. It is a strategy for substituting surfactants/emulsifiers to produce emulsions with high stability against coalescence. In addition, food-grade bioparticles have been increasingly used in the formulation of Pickering emulsions due to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical areas. However, from a frontier perspective, plant-based particles still present several challenges in optimizing functionality through manipulating particle size, wettability, shape anisotropy, aggregation, and surface chemistry. Understanding in greater depth how to control these factors will be indispensable to developing the "tailor-made" toolbox for formulating sustainable Pickering emulsions on a commercial scale. (AU)