Electrostatic interaction of plant mucilage with whey protein

In this study, the electrostatic interaction between quince seed mucilage with whey protein isolate was investigated. For this purpose, turbidity analysis, zeta potential and yield of coacervation were used to determine the optimum complex coacervation conditions. Then, the properties of the coacervates were evaluated by appearance, SEM and light microscopy. The turbidity reached its maximum value of 2200 NTU at 70:30 ratio of protein:mucilage. The highest yield of coacervates (80.67%) was obtained at pH 4. The results showed that the best coacervation conditions were obtained at 70:30 ratio and pH 4. Surface morphology and light microscopic images showed that the coacervate particles are a collection of smaller particles. The SEM image also showed that these particles had a heterogeneous appearance after drying. These types of coacervates can be used as texturizer, carriers of bioactive agents and fat substitutes in food and pharmaceutical products.