Joan Oñate Narciso

Pickering emulsions (PE) are emulsions that are stabilised by solid particles, which adsorb on the interface between the two phases. It is possible to have Pickering multiple emulsions, the most common form of which are double emulsions. Pickering double emulsions stabilised by particles were usually prepared by a two-step emulsification step. In 2018, a study by Ruan et al. showed that Pickering double emulsions can be prepared with a one-step emulsification strategy. A more recent publication (Chen et al., 2023) reported a one-step preparation of stable Pickering double emulsions using edible chitosan/soy β-conglycinin complex particles as stabilisers. My project derives inspiration from their work. The idea is that the β-conglycinin, which is a known food allergen, can be captured by first forming complex particles with a cationic water-soluble polysaccharide, and then secondly, being extracted or separated from a liquid matrix by generating a Pickering double emulsion. Similarly, in my project, I will be preparing Pickering emulsions to capture β-conglycinin, glycinin, and other soy protein isolate allergens by complexation with water-soluble polysaccharides such as pectin and gum arabic. The same principle can then be applied to other allergens from various plant sources. The stability of the generated nanoemulsions under in vitro gastric digestion conditions will be tested to determine whether these emulsions and the incorporated protein allergens can survive gut digestion. Future applications of these novel nanoemulsions include encapsulation of bioactive compounds for their health benefits and their targeted delivery.

Review article submitted:

Gulzar, S., Narciso, J.O., Erez-Martínez, P., Martin-Belloso, O., Soliva-Fortuny, R. Recent developments in the application of novel technologies for the modification of starch in light of 3D printing. Current Opinion in Food Science.

Review article in preparation:

Narciso, J.O., Gulzar, S., Soliva-Fortuny, R., Martin-Belloso, O. Reducing Allergenicity of Plant-based Foods by Chemical, Enzymatic, and Physical Modification of Protein Allergens.