A DOE Approach to Investigate the Influence of Process-Parameters and Composition on the Stability of Emulsions Stabilized by Marine Polysaccharides Prepared by High-Pressure Homogenization

The influence of pre-homogenization conditions (speed and duration at a rotor–stator system), homogenization pressure, and quantitative composition of the emulsions on the droplet size and stability of the resulting emulsions is investigated using design of experiments. A mix of marine polysaccharides (e.g., alginate and fucoidane) from Ascophyllum nodosum is used as emulsifier to form O/W-emulsions with medium-chained triglycerides. It was found that the amount of emulsifier is the most relevant parameter for emulsions' stability whereas the influence of the homogenization pressure is more distinct at low polysaccharide contents. In contrast, the parameters of pre-homogenization do not influence the droplet size significantly.