Effect of carboxymethyl cellulose on structural, physicochemical, and textural properties of faba bean protein/carboxymethyl cellulose emulsion gel as a plant-based ricotta cheese analog

The aims of this study were to develop a vitamin A-encapsulated emulsion gel and investigate the structural and physicochemical properties of the emulsion gel as a plant-based ricotta cheese analog. Emulsion gel was prepared by ionic gelation with Al³⁺ and enzymatic cross-linking using transglutaminase in FBP/CMC emulsion with different CMC concentrations (0.5 %, 1.0 %, 1.5 %, and 2.0 %). CLSM images showed that the oil droplets became smaller and more uniform as the CMC concentrations increased. FT-IR analysis suggested that hydrogen bonding (between CMC and FBP or between FBP molecules) was formed during the preparation of the emulsion gel. The encapsulation efficiency of vitamin A was highest in the emulsion gel with the highest CMC concentration. The solvent holding capacity tended to increase with increasing CMC concentration. In texture profile analysis, the hardness of emulsion gel increased with increasing CMC concentrations, and the emulsion gel with the highest CMC concentration showed similar hardness, cohesiveness, and gumminess as ricotta cheese. In conclusion, this study indicated that CMC could influence the structural stability of emulsion gel by allowing oil droplets to act as active fillers, and emulsion gel can be suitable as a plant-based ricotta cheese analog.