Octenylsuccinate starch spherulites as a stabilizer for Pickering emulsions

Abstract This study investigated structure and morphology of starch spherulites prepared from debranched waxy maize and waxy potato starches. Debranched waxy potato starch favored the formation of B-type crystals with longer branch chains (average chain length, 26.14), whereas A-type polymorphic aggregates were generated from debranched waxy maize under same recrystallization condition. Spherulites had smaller particle size distribution (D[3,2], ∼3.7 μm), higher dissociation temperature (80–120 °C) and crystallinity (80∼90%), compared to native waxy starches. Intact spherulites could be used as an edible particle emulsifier after modifying by octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA). The emulsion produced using 2 wt.% of octenylsuccinate (OS) starch spherulites as emulsifier was quite stable over 2 months, and its Pickering emulsions displayed protective effect on stability of oil droplets.