Synergistic effects of starch nanoparticles and chitin nanofibers on the stability of oil-in-water Pickering emulsions

Starch nanoparticles (SNPs) and Chitin nanofibers (ChFs) have been recognized to be effective for emulsion stabilization. Hence, the use of multiple solid nanoparticles seems to be a promising approach to improve emulsion stability. This work aims to study emulsions stabilized by a combination of SNPs and ChFs at different concentrations over storage time and different environmental conditions. Sonicated emulsions were found to have a significantly higher stability compared to non-sonicated emulsions. Furthermore, SNP/ChF-stabilized emulsions showed smaller droplet sizes and higher stability within a wide range of temperatures and pH, suggesting a synergistic effect between both particles as stabilizers. The addition of NaCl showed limited impact, particularly in concentrations up to 200 mM, on the improvement of the stability of emulsions. The combined use of SNPs and ChFs allowed emulsion stabilization at lower solid nanoparticles concentrations than when only either SNPs or ChFs were used.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated that emulsions stabilized by a combination of SNPs and ChFs showed higher stability under different concentrations, storage times, and environmental conditions, especially when sonicated. The synergistic effect of using both SNPs and ChFs allowed for emulsion stabilization at lower solid nanoparticles concentrations than previously required.