Abstract:

Orange oil cloudy emulsions based on naturally occurring oil-soluble gum elemi and naturally occurring water-soluble gum arabic have been prepared and evaluated. Cloud and emulsion stability, as well as the opacity of each emulsion, were recorded and compared. It was demonstrated that the emulsion stability is determined by the gum elemi/orange oil ratio, the orange oil content, and the gum arabic/orange oil ratio. The opacity is a function of the orange oil content and to a lesser extent also depends on the gum elemi/orange oil ratio. Since the gum elemi/orange oil ratio is a critical parameter affecting both opacity and stability it should be carefully chosen and controlled. Gum arabic is not the sole emulsifier, as gum elemi also adsorbs on the oil droplets and plays a role in emulsion stability.