Interface behavior and emulsifying capacity of cow cockle starch: A candidate for stabilizing food-grade pickering emulsions

This study comprehensively characterized the interfacial behavior and emulsifying capacity of cow cockle starch (CS), both in its native form and following octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) modification. By comparing with the most recognized quinoa starch (QS), CS showed promise as a superior alternative to QS as a particle stabilizer in food-grade emulsions. Although the microstructural similarity to QS, CS featured a smaller mean particle size of 1.39 μm and exhibited greater hydrophobicity, as evidenced by a contact angle of 19.4 ° . At equivalent levels of OSA substitution, OSA-modified CS (CS-OSA) displayed a lower critical concentration, a higher diffusion rate and a greater adsorption density compared to OSA-modified QS (QS-OSA), which facilitated quicker and denser adsorption on the droplet surface. Rheological analysis further revealed that the CS-OSA emulsion formed a stronger gel network than the QS-OSA emulsion. Consequently, CS-OSA emulsions demonstrated superior ionic, centrifugal, and storage stability compared to QS-OSA emulsions.