Fluid laminarization process and rheological properties of protein-stabilized high internal phase emulsions

Protein-stabilized high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) have gained considerable attention in diverse fields. This study addressed a versatile strategy for producing HIPEs that are directly stabilized by animal-source proteins, at which a flow transition from turbulent to laminar was observed during emulsification. It is suggested that the high dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy is attributed to the droplet deformation, which is triggered by the close-packing threshold of internal phase volume. Such droplets are considered self-organized structures and related to the interfacial properties of proteins. The rheological measurements proved the solid-like behavior of protein-stabilized HIPEs in a wide range of frequencies, depending on the size of the final droplets. Meanwhile, such emulsions also exhibited excellent thixotropic and thermal stabilities, which could be applied to the development of functional food materials. In conclusion, this new finding is expected to pave the technological way for the pilot-scale production of HIPEs.