R. Ndjouenkeu et al., EMULSIFYING PROPERTIES OF 3 AFRICAN FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS - OKRA (HIBISCUS-ESCULENTUS), DIKA NUT (IRVINGIA-GABONENSIS), AND KHAN (BELSCHMIEDIASP.), Plant foods for human nutrition, 51(3), 1997, pp. 245-255
This study investigated the emulsifying properties of okra (Hibiscus e
sculentus), dika nut (Irvingia gabonensis) and khan (Belschmiedia sp.)
, three African food hydrocolloids used to thicken and flavor soups. R
esults showed that khan has an emulsion potential approximately 20 and
100 times higher than the second and the first, respectively. A kinet
ic study indicated that the mechanism involved formation of thick and
strong interfacial gum films around the oil globules, in addition to a
high Water Absorption Capacity and weak gelling behavior of khan gum
in solution. These results indicated that, when used in soups, which a
re typical oil/water emulsions, khan contribute both to thickening and
stabilizing of the emulsion, whereas okra and dika nut functioned mor
e as thickeners than as emulsion stabilizers.