Žiukaitė, Simona

Introduction: Emulsions are widely used in the manufacture of food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. The addition of emulsifiers avoids phase separation and forms stable emulsions [1]. Potential natural emulsifiers could be waxes. They are used to achieve the desired viscosity, structure and stability. Effective protection against fusion and phase separation can only be ensured with an appropriate amount of wax and a specific proportion of water and oil [2]. The aim of this study is to produce emulsion systems stabilized with olive emulsion wax, evaluate their quality and to determine the most suitable concentration of waxes in order to produce a stable system. Material and methods: Experimental emulsions were prepared using different amounts of oil (10, 20%) and emulsifier (2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0%). Kinetic stability (by centrifugation), pH value, viscosity and texture analysis were performed to determine the quality and stability of the emulsions. Texture analysis was determined using the texture analyzer TA.Xtplus Texture Analyzer and the Exponent program. Firmness and shear force were determined in this study. The results were analyzed using “MS Excel 2016”. Results: In a kinetic stability study, the 10% emulsions with 2.0 and 3.0% wax, the 20% emulsion with 2.0 of wax destabilized after centrifugation. Determination pH value of emulsions ranged from 4.7 to 6.03. The maximum viscosity at 60 rpm was set for the 20% emulsion with 6.0 of wax – 2540 mPas and the lowest – for emulsion with 2.0 of wax – 2349 mPas. After texture analysis, the maximum firmness and minimum work shear was determined for the 20% emulsion with 5.0% of wax – 37.42 g and 38.65 g/s. Conclusion: 10% emulsions stabilized 4% of olive wax and 20% – 3% of olive wax. pH values of experimental emulsions are suitable for topical use. Higher concentration of emulsifier increases the viscosity and firmness of emulsions.