Food NCPof Russia / Потенциальные участники FP6

Project proposal
Title: Impact of lipid-biopolymer interactions on quality and safety of novel functional food colloids

Type Details: The new data found over the past years suggest that intermolecular interactions between basic components of colloidal foods both in bulk and at the interfaces are central to both their functionality and the structure along with stability of the foods. Therefore, from both experimental evidence and theoretical modelling, it is clear that by establishing quantitative relationships between either intermolecular or interparticle interactions and the entire complex of characteristics of food colloids (texture, determining the consumer perception of foods (chewiness, creaminess etc.); shelf life; taste; digestion and healthy properties) one can achieve the most promising ways of the creation of the best compositions for both functional (health promoting) and safe foods. The aim of the proposed project is to improve a food quality and safety by developing the novel nutritionally balanced, functional food colloids (gels, emulsions or foams by their nature, for example, like milk, yoghurt, cheese, mayonnaise, deserts and etc.), considering, on the one hand, specific medico-biological requirements on the nutritional balance of the more important for a good health food ingredients (as proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, medicinal substances) and, on the other hand, such key parameters of food products, appealing consumers, like texture, aroma, colour and ultimately taste along with a visual appearance. The major objects of the proposed research will be the novel compositions of different in structure highly purified plant (legumes) and milk proteins (caseins, a-lactaalbumin and b-lactoglobulin), modified starch along with saturated and unsaturated lipids as well as trace elements (minerals, flavours, vitamins, antioxidants, medicinal substances). The research will focus on the elucidation of the basic relationships in the set: composition- interactions- structure- functions for the chosen blends of healthier nutritious components (proteins, polysaccharides, lipids and trace food elements) in the bulk and at the interfaces (air-water, oil-water) of the model food colloids. To accomplish these ends, the combination of thermodynamic and rheological methods will be used primarily to characterize (i) the nature of the interaction between the major components (mixing calorimetry and laser multi-angle light scattering); (ii) thermodynamic compatibility of the major components and the phase state of the chosen blends (laser multi-angle light scattering, rheology, spectrophotometry); (iii) the mutual influence of the major components on their structural state in aqueous medium (differential scanning calorimetry and laser multi-angle light scattering in static and dynamic modes); (iv) the mutual influence of the major components on their ability to form adsorbtion layers at the interfaces (air-water, oil-water) (tensiometry); (v) the structure and stability of the model food colloids (gels, emulsion, emulsion gels) (rheology, dynamic laser light scattering). The proposed research provides primarily an improved knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of the texture of novel nutritionally balanced functional food colloids that is evidently is crucial for the prediction, regulation and improvement of taste and a visual appearance of the foodstuffs. Moreover this knowledge allows both reducing the use of undesirable food materials and developing the best, alternative, new and highly functional food sources of the major purified nutritious components, the functionality of which might be controlled and improved by their interactions. In addition, the proposed research will include the elucidation of the effect of a heat treatment and other general processing methods of foods on the all parameters of model food colloids studied. To be more related to a human health or a disease prevention the proposed research should be accompanied with the investigation of human metabolism of the newly formulated nutritionally balanced, functional (health promoting) food colloids.

Research interest: Molecular mechanisms of the texture formation in colloidal foods. The main scientific aim of the research work in our laboratory is studying the thermodynamic basis of food biopolymer (protein, polysaccharide) structural functionality in multicomponent food colloids, that is in the presence of lipids, flavour or trace elements (vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, medicinal substances). The research deals mainly with a determination of the key relationships between the thermodynamics of the intermolecular interactions of the principal components (biopolymers, lipids) and the texture (all rheological and structural parameters comprising food colloids) in a bulk and at the interfaces of model food colloids. These are multicomponent aqueous solutions, emulsions, foams and gels. Such thermodynamic approach provides us both an understanding what are the molecular mechanisms of the texture formation in these complex food systems and valuable information about the most promising ways of regulation and formulation of them. Under this study a special attention is paid to the (i) molecular mechanisms underlying both the formation of the specific structure and the stability of emulsions and foams; (ii) phase behaviour of mixed model food colloids; as well as (iii) a flavour retention and release. Production and characterization of novel functional food colloids (emulsions, foams, gels); Safety of food colloids; Texture perception of food colloids; Novel combinations of food ingredients, texture and digestion of food colloids; Food emulsion droplet interactions in relation to the texture formation; Nanorheological properties of biopolymers in relation to the texture formation; Self- association of biopolymers in relation to the texture formation; Intermolecular interactions and properties of interfacial layers; Double emulsions and controlled release of the trace elements (aroma, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, medicinal substances); Encapsulation and controlled release of the trace elements.
Expiry Date: 2006-12-31