Influence of internal water phase gelation on the shear- and osmotic sensitivity of W/O/W-type double emulsions

It has already been hypothesized and in some cases proven that gelation of the internal water droplets of W/O/W-type double emulsions might allow the application of a higher shear in the second emulsification step while maintaining a high internal water content. In this contribution, thermal denaturation of a concentrated whey protein isolate solution, which is used as the internal water phase, was investigated. Low-resolution NMR T-2-relaxometry measurements (using a CPMG-sequence) clearly showed that this thermal treatment effectively gelled the internal water phase. Using this approach, double emulsion droplets with a small average diameter (D-43 of about 5 mu m) and narrow particle size distribution were produced while a high internal water content was maintained. Moreover, our results indicated that gelation could not prevent osmotic shrinking of the double emulsion droplets upon dilution in hypertonic solution. However, gelation of the internal water phase clearly reduced the degree of osmotic swelling of the double emulsion droplets upon hypotonic dilution. However, this effect is probably due to droplet-globule coalescence occurring at lower internal water volume increases in case the internal water phase is gelled. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.