Depletion and bridging flocculation of oil droplets in the presence of β-glucan, arabinoxylan and pectin polymers: Effects on lipolysis

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of food polysaccharides from different sources on microstructural and rheological properties, and in vitro lipolysis of oil-in-water emulsions of canola oil stabilised by whey protein isolate. The polysaccharides used were β-glucan (BG) from oat, arabinoxylan (AX) from wheat, and pectin (PTN) from apple. All polysaccharides added at 1% w/v increased the viscosity of emulsions and promoted flocculation but with different mechanisms, BG and AX by depletion flocculation and PTN by bridging flocculation. Depletion flocculation was associated with an increase in viscosity of BG or AX-stabilised emulsions compared with BG/AX alone, whereas bridging flocculation with PTN caused a decrease in viscosity. All three polysaccharides reduced lipid digestion rate and extent, but the bridging flocculation induced by PTN had the greatest effect. This study has implications for better understanding the influence of carbohydrate polymers from cereals and fruits on lipid digestibility.