Differential emulsion stabilization mechanisms of soluble VS. insoluble acetylated starches: Insights from molecular architecture and stability

The emulsifying stabilization mechanisms and performance differences between soluble and insoluble acetylated starches were investigated. A composite modified starch (HH-ACS) was prepared via acetylation combined with acid-heat treatment and used to stabilize Pickering emulsions, whose stability and interfacial structure were systematically evaluated. Through SEM and FTIR analysis, it was found that the HH-ACS retained its granular structure, and no new absorption peaks were detected. However, its relative crystallinity decreased from 28.27% to 18.44%, and the content of short-chain structures increased by 18.81%. Significantly, the Pickering emulsion stabilized by 0.45HH-ACS exhibited more uniform particle sizes and a higher Zeta potential. HH-ACS shows promise as a potential egg yolk substitute for preparing low-cholesterol mayonnaise (LM). Correlation analysis demonstrated that when LM was prepared using 0.45HH-ACS, which exhibited the best emulsifying capacity, it displayed higher viscoelasticity and a narrower particle size distribution.