Wheat Bran Arabinoxylan and Whey Protein Isolate Conjugates: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications in O/W and Foamed Emulsions

This study explored the production of whey protein isolate (WPI) and arabinoxylan (AX) covalent conjugates via Maillard reaction under varying reaction times and WPI/AX molar ratios. The structural and functional properties of the conjugates, including their ability to emulsify and stabilize oil and air/water emulsions, were measured. Overall, the conjugates prepared with a WPI/AX molar ratio of 4:2 and heating treatment for 5 h exhibited the highest grafting degree (15.74%) as well as the best emulsifying and foaming properties. The emulsifying activity and emulsifying stability of WA-3 at 0.5 wt% were 1.78-fold and 5.78-fold higher than those of 15 wt% commercial gum arabic, respectively. These findings indicated that optimizing the Maillard conjugation process under specific conditions could enhance the use of WPI-AX conjugates as natural emulsifiers in the food industry.

Keywords: Arabinoxylan, whey protein isolate, conjugates, emulsifier

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Liu, Yan and Kang, Ji and Jin, Ziyi and Min, Weihong and Zhang, Jixiang and Guo, Qingbin and Wang, Qi, Wheat Bran Arabinoxylan and Whey Protein Isolate Conjugates: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications in O/W and Foamed Emulsions. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5043219 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5043219