A method for preparing emulsion gels specifically for the elderly based on Spirulina ultrafine powder-starch

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of emulsion gel preparation technology, specifically a method for preparing an emulsion gel for the elderly based on spirulina ultrafine powder and starch. The method includes the following steps: preparing spirulina ultrafine powder, starch, distilled water, and soybean oil; adding spirulina ultrafine powder and starch to distilled water and magnetically stirring to obtain a mixture; heating the mixture in a water bath while simultaneously stirring with a magnetic stirrer; and then cooling the heated solution to room temperature to obtain the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture. This invention successfully solves the problems of spirulina ultrafine powder and starch alone failing to form high-strength gels, having large droplet sizes, and insufficient gel stability when used as emulsifiers, by utilizing the hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces between spirulina ultrafine powder and starch. Furthermore, the prepared emulsion gel exhibits excellent storage stability and viscoelasticity, is safe for consumption, and the preparation process is novel, simple, and easily scalable for industrial production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of emulsion gel preparation technology, specifically a method for preparing an emulsion gel for the elderly based on spirulina ultrafine powder-starch. Background Technology

[0002] Spirulina, rich in protein, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, has become one of the ideal raw materials in the health food industry. Spirulina ultrafine powder is prepared by advanced ultrafine grinding technology and has the characteristics of small particle size and good dispersibility. Due to its various biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, it can be used as a natural emulsifier in food preparation.

[0003] Starch, as a common thickener and stabilizer, has good gelling properties and good compatibility with protein-based substances.

[0004] With the accelerating aging of the population, the nutritional needs of the elderly have received widespread attention. Due to certain impairments in chewing and swallowing functions, soft and easy-to-swallow food forms have become the focus of food development for the elderly. Emulsion gels, as a semi-solid food form, combine the controlled-release function of emulsions with the thermodynamic stability of gels, providing a safe and effective nutrient delivery route for the elderly. Their soft texture and delicate taste can compensate for swallowing difficulties caused by decreased chewing ability or fatigue, avoid the risk of choking, and meet their nutritional needs.

[0005] The preparation methods of emulsion gels usually include using spirulina ultrafine powder or starch alone as emulsifiers and adding cross-linking agents in the aqueous phase, or preparing the emulsion first and then performing secondary gelation.

[0006] However, the above-mentioned technologies are relatively complex and cumbersome in preparing gels. Although spirulina ultrafine powder or starch can form a certain degree of emulsion stability when used alone as an emulsifier, they have limitations in the gelation process and it is difficult to achieve a high-strength gel structure. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for preparing an emulsion gel for the elderly based on spirulina ultrafine powder and starch, so as to solve the problems that the gel preparation process is relatively complex and cumbersome, and that it is difficult to achieve a high-strength gel structure when using spirulina ultrafine powder or starch alone as an emulsifier.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a method for preparing an emulsion gel specifically for the elderly based on spirulina ultrafine powder-starch, comprising the following steps:

[0009] S1. Material preparation: Prepare spirulina ultrafine powder, starch, distilled water and soybean oil, including tapioca starch, pea starch and waxy potato starch.

[0010] S2. Preparation of the mixture: Add the spirulina ultrafine powder and starch from step S1 to distilled water, and stir magnetically at room temperature to completely hydrate the solids and obtain the mixture.

[0011] S3, Water bath heating: The mixture obtained in step S2 is heated in a water bath while being stirred with a magnetic stirrer. The solution after water bath heating is then cooled to room temperature to obtain a spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture.

[0012] S4. Obtaining the emulsion gel: Add soybean oil to the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture in step S3, and use a homogenizer to homogenize the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture with added soybean oil at high speed to obtain the emulsion gel.

[0013] Preferably, in step S2, the total solids content of spirulina ultrafine powder and starch is 2.5% to 20% of the mixture, wherein the content of spirulina ultrafine powder accounts for 2% to 16% of the mixture, and the content of starch accounts for 0.5% to 4% of the mixture.

[0014] Preferably, in step S3, the water bath heating temperature is 70℃~90℃, the heating time is 10~40min, the stirring speed of the magnetic stirrer in step S3 is 300~500rpm, and the cooling time is 0.5~2h.

[0015] Preferably, in step S4, the high-speed shearing rate of the homogenizer is 9000-15000 r / min, and the time is 2-5 min.

[0016] Preferably, in step S4, the volume ratio of spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture to soybean oil includes 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 3:7, and 2:8.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0018] 1. This invention possesses bioactive properties such as environmental sustainability, natural origin, bright color, high nutritional value, and antioxidant properties, expanding the application range of microalgae. Through the hydrogen bond and van der Waals force interaction between spirulina ultrafine powder and starch, it successfully solves the problems of spirulina ultrafine powder and starch alone failing to form high-strength gels, large droplet size, and insufficient gel stability when used as emulsifiers. Furthermore, the prepared emulsion gel has excellent storage stability and viscoelasticity, is safe for consumption, and the preparation process is novel, simple, and easy to industrialize. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the method for preparing an emulsion gel for the elderly based on spirulina ultrafine powder and starch according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] The methods for testing the properties of the composite emulsifier and the physicochemical properties of the emulsion gel in the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0022] Droplet size determination method: The size of the emulsion droplets was determined using a laser particle size analyzer (Mastersizer 3000, Malvern Instruments Ltd., UK). The refractive indices of soybean oil and dispersant were set to 1.46 and 1.33, respectively. Samples were diluted with distilled water to a concentration of 1 wt%, and measurements were taken immediately after dilution. The average volume diameter (D) was used. 4,3 To compare the droplet size of the emulsion.

[0023] Example 1

[0024] Please see Figure 1 This invention provides a technical solution: a method for preparing an emulsion gel specifically for the elderly based on spirulina ultrafine powder and starch, comprising the following steps:

[0025] S1. Material preparation: Prepare spirulina ultrafine powder, tapioca starch, distilled water and soybean oil;

[0026] S2. Preparation of the mixture: Spirulina ultrafine powder and cassava starch are added to distilled water and magnetically stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes to completely hydrate the solids and obtain the mixture. The total solid content of the mixture is 10%, of which the content of the spirulina ultrafine powder is 8% and the content of the starch is 2%.

[0027] S3. Water bath heating: The mixture obtained in step S2 is heated in a water bath at a temperature of 90°C for 20 minutes, while being stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a speed of 500 rpm. The solution after water bath heating is then cooled to room temperature for 1 hour to obtain a spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture.

[0028] S4. Preparation of emulsion gel: Add soybean oil to the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture in step S3. The volume ratio of spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture to soybean oil is 4:6. The spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture with added soybean oil is homogenized by high-speed shearing using a homogenizer to obtain emulsion gel. The shearing rate is 13000 r / min and the time is 3 min.

[0029] The emulsion gel prepared in Example 1 showed that the droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using the Spirulina ultrafine powder-starch composite emulsifier in this example was 25.7 μm, and the particle size distribution was uniform. The emulsion had high stability, and in particular, it remained gel-like after 42 days of storage.

[0030] Example 2

[0031] The difference from Example 1 is:

[0032] S2. Preparation of the mixture: The content of spirulina ultrafine powder accounts for 2.5% of the total solid content in the mixture.

[0033] The emulsion gel prepared in Example 2 showed that the droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using the Spirulina ultrafine powder-starch composite emulsifier in this example was 45 μm, and the particle size distribution was uniform. The emulsion stability was slightly higher, and it lost its gel properties after 42 days of storage.

[0034] Example 3

[0035] The difference from Example 1 is:

[0036] S2. Preparation of the mixture: The content of spirulina ultrafine powder accounts for 10% of the total solid content in the mixture.

[0037] S4. Prepare emulsion gel: The volume ratio of spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture to soybean oil is 2:8.

[0038] The emulsion gel prepared in Example 3 showed that the droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using the Spirulina ultrafine powder-starch composite emulsifier in this example was 28 μm, and the particle size distribution was uneven. The emulsion stability was poor, the amount of emulsifier was insufficient to cover the oil-water interface, and the emulsion layering phenomenon occurred after storage.

[0039] Example 4

[0040] The difference from Example 1 is:

[0041] Includes the following steps:

[0042] S1. Material preparation: Prepare spirulina ultrafine powder, pea starch, distilled water and soybean oil;

[0043] S2. Preparation of the mixture: Spirulina ultrafine powder and pea starch are added to distilled water and magnetically stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes to completely hydrate the solids and obtain the mixture. The total solid content of spirulina ultrafine powder and pea starch is 5% of the mixture, of which the content of spirulina ultrafine powder accounts for 4% of the mixture and the content of starch accounts for 1% of the mixture.

[0044] S3. Water bath heating: The mixture obtained in step S2 is heated in a water bath at a temperature of 70°C for 20 minutes, while being stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a speed of 300 rpm. The solution after water bath heating is then cooled to room temperature for 1 hour to obtain a spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture.

[0045] S4. Preparation of emulsion gel: Add soybean oil to the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture in step S3. The volume ratio of spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture to soybean oil is 3:7. The spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture with added soybean oil is homogenized by high-speed shearing using a homogenizer to obtain emulsion gel. The shearing rate is 13000 r / min and the time is 3 min.

[0046] The emulsion gel prepared in Example 4 showed that the droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using the Spirulina ultrafine powder-starch composite emulsifier in this example was 108 μm, and the particle size distribution was uniform, indicating high emulsion stability.

[0047] Example 5

[0048] The difference from Example 1 is:

[0049] Includes the following steps:

[0050] S1. Material preparation: Prepare spirulina ultrafine powder, waxy potato starch, distilled water and soybean oil;

[0051] S2. Preparation of the mixture: Spirulina ultrafine powder and waxy potato starch are added to distilled water and magnetically stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes to completely hydrate the solids and obtain the mixture. The total solid content of spirulina ultrafine powder and waxy potato starch is 10% of the mixture, of which the content of spirulina ultrafine powder accounts for 8% of the mixture and the content of starch accounts for 2% of the mixture.

[0052] S3. Water bath heating: The mixture obtained in step S2 is heated in a water bath at a temperature of 90°C for 30 minutes, while being stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a speed of 300 rpm. After that, the solution heated in the water bath is cooled to room temperature for 1 hour to obtain a spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture.

[0053] S4. Obtaining the emulsion gel: Add soybean oil to the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture in step S3. The volume ratio of the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture to soybean oil is 8:2. The spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture with added soybean oil is homogenized by high-speed shearing using a homogenizer to obtain the emulsion gel. The shearing rate is 9000 r / min and the time is 2 min.

[0054] The emulsion gel prepared in Example 5 showed that the droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using the Spirulina ultrafine powder-starch composite emulsifier in this example was 21 μm, and the particle size distribution was uniform, but no gel was formed, and the emulsion stability was slightly high.

[0055] Example 6

[0056] Includes the following steps:

[0057] S1. Material preparation: Prepare spirulina ultrafine powder, tapioca starch, distilled water and soybean oil;

[0058] S2. Preparation of the mixture: Spirulina ultrafine powder and tapioca starch are added to distilled water and magnetically stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes to completely hydrate the solids, thus obtaining the mixture. The total solid content of the spirulina ultrafine powder and tapioca starch is 10% of the mixture, of which the spirulina ultrafine powder accounts for 8% of the mixture and the starch accounts for 2%.

[0059] S3. Water bath heating: The mixture obtained in step S2 is heated in a water bath at a temperature of 90°C for 30 minutes, while being stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a speed of 300 rpm. After that, the solution heated in the water bath is cooled to room temperature for 1 hour to obtain a spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture.

[0060] S4. Preparation of emulsion gel: Add soybean oil to the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture in step S3. The volume ratio of spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture to soybean oil is 4:6. The spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture with added soybean oil is homogenized by high-speed shearing using a homogenizer to obtain emulsion gel. The shearing rate is 15000 r / min and the time is 5 min.

[0061] The emulsion gel prepared in Example 6 showed that the average droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using the Spirulina ultrafine powder-starch composite emulsifier in this example was 44 μm, and the droplet size distribution was uniform, indicating high emulsion stability.

[0062] Comparative Example 1

[0063] A method for preparing an emulsion using individual Spirulina ultrafine powder includes the following steps:

[0064] Spirulina ultrafine powder was added to distilled water and magnetically stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes to completely hydrate the solids and obtain a mixture in which the total solid content of spirulina ultrafine powder was 8%;

[0065] The above mixture was heated in a water bath at 90°C for 30 minutes while being magnetically stirred at 300 rpm. Then, the solution was cooled to room temperature for 1 hour to obtain the Spirulina ultrafine powder mixture.

[0066] Soybean oil was added to the spirulina ultrafine powder mixture. The volume ratio of the aqueous phase to the oil phase of the spirulina ultrafine powder mixture was 4:6. The spirulina ultrafine powder mixture with added soybean oil was subjected to high-speed shear homogenization using a homogenizer to obtain an emulsion gel. The shear rate was 13000 r / min and the time was 3 min.

[0067] The emulsion gel prepared by Comparative Example 2 showed that the droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using Spirulina ultrafine powder emulsifier in this comparative example was 33.4 μm, which was slightly larger than expected, and the emulsion stability was slightly worse.

[0068] Comparative Example 2

[0069] A method for preparing an emulsion using cassava starch alone includes the following steps:

[0070] Tapioca starch was added to distilled water and magnetically stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes to completely hydrate the solids, resulting in a mixture in which the total solid content of tapioca starch was 5%.

[0071] The above mixture was heated in a water bath at 90°C for 30 minutes while being magnetically stirred at 300 rpm. Then, the solution was cooled to room temperature for 1 hour to obtain the cassava starch mixture.

[0072] Soybean oil was added to the cassava starch mixture, with a volume ratio of 3:7 between the aqueous phase and the oil phase of the cassava starch mixture. The cassava starch mixture with added soybean oil was then subjected to high-speed shear homogenization using a homogenizer to obtain an emulsion gel. The shear rate was 13000 r / min and the time was 3 min.

[0073] The emulsion gel prepared by Comparative Example 2 showed that the droplet size of the emulsion gel prepared using the cassava starch emulsifier in this comparative example was 367 μm, and the particle size distribution was too wide, which was not conducive to the stability of the emulsion, resulting in the formation of stratification even when the emulsion was fresh.

[0074] Table 1 shows a comparison of the emulsion states at different stages of Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2, Example 1, and Example 2.

[0075] Table 1: Emulsion states at different times in Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2, Example 1, and Example 2

[0076]

[0077] according to Figure 1 As shown in Table 1, the emulsion gel prepared using spirulina ultrafine powder-starch composite emulsifier in Example 1 exhibited superior performance, particularly in emulsion stability and droplet size control. The prepared emulsion had smaller and more uniformly distributed droplets, a softer texture, and a delicate mouthfeel, significantly improving the storage stability of the emulsion gel. Therefore, the preparation of emulsion gels with small droplet size, simple process, and significantly improved viscoelasticity is of great significance for the design of nutrient delivery carriers and the development of 3D printed food ingredients.

[0078] This invention successfully solves the problems of spirulina ultrafine powder and starch alone failing to form high-strength gels, having large droplet sizes, and insufficient gel stability when used as emulsifiers. Through the combined effect of the two, the prepared emulsion gel has excellent storage stability and viscoelasticity. Furthermore, the emulsion gel prepared by this invention has a soft texture and delicate taste, making it very suitable for elderly people with difficulty swallowing, effectively avoiding the risk of choking and meeting the nutritional needs of the elderly population.

[0079] This invention uses spirulina ultrafine powder as raw material, which is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and naturally sourced. At the same time, the protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals rich in spirulina give the emulsion gel high nutritional value and bright color. It also has antioxidant and other bioactive properties, further expanding the application range of microalgae. Spirulina ultrafine powder and starch interact through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces to form a complex, which is a safe and non-toxic method to improve the stability of emulsions or emulsion gels.

[0080] The preparation method provided by this invention is novel and simple, and easy to industrialize. As an edible material suitable for 3D printing, it provides new possibilities for the development of customized food and has broad market application prospects.

[0081] In summary, the method provided by this invention not only improves the structural properties and functionality of emulsion gels, but also offers new ideas for the development of foods for the elderly, and has important practical value and social significance.

[0082] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0083] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for preparing emulsion gel for the elderly based on super-micro powder of Spirulina and starch, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Material preparation: Prepare spirulina ultrafine powder, starch, distilled water and soybean oil, where the starch is tapioca starch or pea starch; S2. Preparation of the mixture: Add the spirulina ultrafine powder and starch from step S1 to distilled water, and stir magnetically at room temperature to completely hydrate the solids and obtain the mixture. The total solid content of the spirulina ultrafine powder and starch is 10% or 5% of the mixture, and the content of spirulina ultrafine powder accounts for 8% or 4% of the mixture, while the content of starch accounts for 2% or 1% of the mixture. S3, Water bath heating: The mixture obtained in step S2 is heated in a water bath while being stirred with a magnetic stirrer. The solution after water bath heating is then cooled to room temperature to obtain a spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture. S4. Obtaining the emulsion gel: Add soybean oil to the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture in step S3, and use a homogenizer to homogenize the spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture with added soybean oil at high speed to obtain the emulsion gel, wherein the volume ratio of spirulina ultrafine powder-starch mixture to soybean oil is 4:6 or 3:

7.

2. The method for preparing emulsion gel for the elderly based on super-fine powder of Spirulina-starch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that: In step S3, the water bath heating temperature is 70℃ ~ 90℃, the heating time is 10 ~ 40 min, the stirring speed of the magnetic stirrer in step S3 is 300 ~ 500 rpm, and the cooling time is 0.5 ~ 2 h.

3. The method of preparing emulsified gel for the elderly based on super-fine powder of Spirulina-starch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that: In step S4, the high-speed shearing rate of the homogenizer is 9000 ~ 15000 r / min, and the time is 2 ~ 5 min.

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