A comprehensive study of physical, antimicrobial and emulsifying properties of self-assembled chitosan/lecithin complexes produced in aqueous media

Author(s)

de Toledo, Antonio Matias Navarrete ; Silva, Nathalia Cristina Cirone ; Sato, Ana Carla Kawazoe ; Picone, Carolina Siqueira Franco

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FUTURE FOODS; v. 4, p. 7-pg., 2021-12-01.

Abstract

Demand for products containing natural compounds has grown in recent decades and synthetic emulsifiers prob-ably will be replaced. Lecithin is a natural emulsifier, but it has low emulsifying capacity for stabilizing oil-in water emulsions and does not show antimicrobial property. Thus, we proposed the development of surfactant-polyelectrolyte complexes (SPECs) based on lecithin (Lip) and chitosan (Chi) in order to provide antimicrobial properties and to enhance the emulsifying properties of lecithin. The physicochemical properties of SPECs were depending on the mass ratios between compounds. SPECs showed sizes ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 microns and Zeta potential values ranging from - 49.5 mV to + 38.5 mV. All SPECs showed surfactant properties reducing superficial tension and interfacial tension with sunflower oil. SPECs with positive Zeta potentials values and at concentration of 2.5 mg/mL were able to inhibit the Escherichia coli growth. Through droplet size measure-ments, may be observed that emulsions prepared with SPECs showed coalescence decreasing when compared with those prepared only with lecithin or chitosan. These results showed that SPECs can be modulated in their physicochemical properties to be potential emulsifiers with antimicrobial properties. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/26359-0 - DEVELOPMENT OF BIOPOLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES WITH ANTIMICROBIAL AIMS
• Grantee: Carolina Siqueira Franco Picone
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/11984-7 - PRODUCTION OF MICROPARTICLES CONTAINING FAT-SOLUBLE ACTIVE CORES BY ATOMIZATION IN SPRAY DRYING: EFFECT OF EMULSIONS PROPERTIES ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FINAL PRODUCT
• Grantee: Miriam Dupas Hubinger
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants