Comparative Study of Food-Grade Pickering Stabilizers Obtained from Agri-Food Byproducts: Chemical Characterization and Emulsifying Capacity

Natural Pickering emulsions are gaining popularity in several industrial fields, especially in the food industry and plant-based alternative sector. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize and compare six agri-food wastes/byproducts (lupin hull, canola press-cake, lupin byproduct, camelina press-cake, linseed hull, and linseed press-cake) as potential sources of food-grade Pickering stabilizers. The results showed that all samples contained surface-active agents such as proteins (46.71–17.90 g/100 g) and dietary fiber (67.10–38.58 g/100 g). Canola press-cake, camelina press-cake, and linseed hull exhibited the highest concentrations of polyphenols: 2891, 2549, and 1672 mg GAE/100 g sample, respectively. Moreover, the agri-food byproduct particles presented a partial wettability with a water contact angle (WCA) between 77.5 and 42.2 degrees, and they were effective for stabilizing oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The emulsions stabilized by Camelina press-cake, lupin hull, and lupin by-product (≥3.5%, w/w) were highly stable against creaming during 45 days of storage. Furthermore, polarized and confocal microscopy revealed that the particles were anchored to the interfaces of oil droplets, which is a demonstration of the formation of a Pickering emulsion stabilized by solid particles. These results suggest that agri-food wastes/byproducts are good emulsifiers that can be applied to produce stable Pickering emulsions.