The influence of the chemical composition of modified lecithins on their surface-active and emulsifying properties

It is known that lecithins are known to be natural emulsifiers due to the content of amphiphilic phospholipids. However, liquid lecithins widely produced by domestic enterprises have rather low emulsifying properties. Modification of liquid lecithins, which consists in a targeted change in their chemical composition, affects the effectiveness of the manifestation of certain technological properties, and, consequently, the directions of their use in emulsion food technologies. The purpose of the research was to study the influence of the characteristics of the chemical composition of modified lecithins, namely LecPC and LecFEI, on the effectiveness of the manifestation of surface-active and emulsifying properties. The modified lecithins LecPC and LecFEI were obtained from liquid soy lecithin using innovative technology with know-how. LecPC predominantly contains phosphatidylcholines – 85.5%, and LecFEI contains phosphatidylethanolamines in the largest amount – 30.0% of the total phospholipid content. The difference in the fatty acid composition of the modified lecithins LecPC and LecFEI was shown. As a result of the study of the effectiveness of the manifestation of surface-active properties by modified lecithins LecPC and LecFEI, it was revealed that the efficiency of manifestation of these properties of LecPC was higher than that of LecFEI. It was established that the modified lecithins LecPC and LecFEI exhibited high emulsifying ability, while the use of LecPC as an emulsifier provided stable direct-type emulsions, and the use of LecFEI – stable reverse-type emulsions, which was due to the peculiarities of their chemical composition. This allows us to recommend the modified lecithins LetsPC and LetsFEI as emulsifiers in the technologies of emulsion food products – mayonnaise, mayonnaise sauces, spreads and margarines.

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