Whey protein and maltodextrin-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions: Effects of dextrose equivalent.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of dextrose equivalent (DE) of maltodextrins (MD) on the stability of whey protein and maltodextrin stabilized oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions. Emulsions with DE 15 maltodextrin (MD 15) exhibited better stability under light acidic (pH 6), neutral and alkaline (pH 8-9) conditions, as well as during temperature ramps (20-60 °C). After 15-days of storage, MD 15 emulsion showed increase in polydispersity and decrease in the average droplet size. The apparent viscosity of the emulsions decreased with increasing DE. The shear stresses of all emulsions fitted well with the power law model (R2 > 0.9), while MD 15 showed the most stable k and n indexes. The brightness and whiteness of emulsion decreased with increases in DE. In conclusion, emulsions with MD 15 exhibited better stability, which suggests their good potential for use in the preparation of energy drinks.