An eco-friendly extraction method for adsorbed proteins from emulsions stabilized by whey protein isolate by using Tween 20

The present study established an eco-friendly extraction method for adsorbed proteins from the interfacial layers of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions which stabilized by whey protein isolate. Tween 20, a typical food-grade low molecular weight surfactant , could sufficiently extract adsorbed proteins. Then, ultra-filtered centrifugation was applied to purify the adsorbed proteins. The results showed that the concentration of Tween 20 solution was a crucial factor impacting extraction efficiency, and concentration of Tween 20 from 0.5 % (v/v) could efficiently extract the adsorbed proteins from the oil-water interface. Moreover, when compared with the traditional isopropyl alcohol precipitation method, our developed method could efficiently extract, as well as maintain the unaltered structure of adsorbed proteins from different emulsions prepared with different concentrations of protein solution and different homogenization methods. Our method could substantially decrease the use of organic solvent within the laboratory setting, thereby minimizing the potential risks to the environment and human health.