Nisin is an amphiphilic, antimicrobial peptide that has found application a
s a preservative in the food industry. Evaluation of nisin as an emulsifier
was accomplished by measuring its ability to stabilize dispersed oil dropl
ets in water. This was achieved by monitoring the time-dependent electrical
conductivity of the dispersion. Nisin solutions at concentrations of 0, 0.
5, 1, 5, and 10 mg/ml were used to prepare emulsions, by homogenization of
a volume of nisin solution and corn oil. While nisin showed significant emu
lsifying capacity in comparison to Tween(R) 80 and beta-casein, its emulsif
ying properties were found to be highly concentration- and pH-dependent.