Rheology and droplet size distribution of emulsions stabilized by crayfish flour

Highly concentrated oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions stabilized by crayfish flour at high pH were characterized by means of linear dynamic viscoelasticity and droplet size distribution (DSD) analysis. Power consumption and temperature were recorded as a function of emulsification time at different agitation speeds. The emulsions studied followed a gel-like behavior, characterized by G being about one order of magnitude higher than G '' within the experimental frequency range. This behavior was characteristic of highly concentrated emulsions with a well-developed plateau region. Increase in both energy input and crayfish flour concentration yielded higher values of linear viscoelasticity functions and lower droplet size, which suggested an enhancement of the elastic network and an increase in emulsion stability. The evolution of plateau modulus and Sauter diameter was studied at different concentrations of crayfish flour (0.25-6.25 wt%) over storage time at 5 degrees C. The microstructure of these emulsions was characterized by using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.