Impact of the type of emulsifier on the physicochemical characteristics of the prepared fish oil-loaded microcapsules

Microencapsulation of fish oil by spray drying, spray freeze-drying, freeze-drying, and microwave freeze-drying: Microcapsule characterization and storage stability

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of spray drying (SD), spray freeze-drying (SFD), freeze-drying (FD), and microwave freeze-drying (MFD) on the characteristics of fish oil (FO) microcapsules. The physicochemical properties, morphology, fatty acid composition, and stability of the microcapsules were analyzed. The encapsulation efficiencies of microcapsules dried by SD, SFD, FD, and MFD were 86.98%, 77.79%, 63.29%, and 57.89%, respectively. SD microcapsules exhibited superior properties in terms of effective loading capacity, color, and flowability. Conversely, SFD microcapsules demonstrated improved solubility. Microencapsulation positively affected the thermal stability of FO, but the content of unsaturated fatty acids decreased. The findings from the storage experiment indicated that the oxidative stability of SD fish oil microcapsules was marginally lower compared to microcapsules produced through three alternative drying techniques, all of which were based on the FD concept. The comparison of various drying methods and their effects on the quality of FO microcapsules offers valuable insights that can serve as a foundation for the industrial production of high-quality microcapsules.

Studies on Intermolecular Interaction of N-Glycidyltrimethyl Ammonium Chloride Modified Chitosan/N,N-Dimethyl-N-dodecyl-N-(2,3-epoxy propyl) Ammonium Chloride and Curcumin Delivery

Chitosan has potential applications in many fields, due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and reproducibility. However, the insolubility in water restricts its wide application. In order to expand the application of chitosan in the delivery of oil-soluble drugs and improve the efficacy of oil-soluble drugs, N-Glycidyltrimethyl ammonium chloride-modified chitosan (GTA-m-CS) and N,N-Dimethyl-N-dodecyl-N-(1,2-epoxy propyl) ammonium chloride (DDEAC), a kind of reactive surfactant, were synthesized and characterized by FTIR, NMR and XRD methods. The interactions between GTA-m-CS and DDEAC was studied by surface tension, viscosity, conductivity and fluorescence methods. The parameters, including equilibrium surface tension, critical micelle concentrations of DDEAC with different GTA-m-CS concentration, critical aggregation concentration of DDEAC, the amount of DDEAC adsorbed on GTA-m-CS, pc₂₀ and π_cmc were obtained from the surface tension curves. The influence of temperature on the above parameters were evaluated. The degree of counterion binding to micelle and the thermodynamic parameters of the system were calculated from the conductivity curves. According to the change of conductivity with temperature, the thermodynamic parameters of micellar formation were calculated. The aggregation number of DDEAC molecules in GTA-m-CS/DDEAC aggregates were calculated from steady-state fluorescence data. Based on the experimental results, the interaction models between GTA-m-CS and DDEAC were proposed. The GTA-m-CS/DDEAC aggregates could be used as curcumin carries, and achieved sustained release.

Prospective Study on Microencapsulation of Oils and Its Application in Foodstuffs

BACKGROUND

Edible oils have gained the interest of several industrial sectors for the different health benefits they offer, such as the supply of bioactive compounds and essential fatty acids. Microencapsulation is one of the techniques that has been adopted by industries to minimize the degradation of oils, facilitating their processing.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the intellectual property related to patent documents referring to microencapsulated oils used in foods.

METHODS

This prospective study investigated the dynamics of patents filed in the Espacenet and National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) databases, and it mapped technological developments in microencapsulation in comparison with scientific literature.

RESULTS

The years 2015 and 2018 showed the greatest growth in the number of patents filed in the Espacenet and INPI databases, respectively, with China leading the domains of origin, inventors, and owners of microencapsulation technology. The largest number of applications of microcapsules were observed in the food industry, and the foods containing microencapsulated oils were powdered seasonings, dairy products, rice flour, nutritional formulae, pasta, nutritional supplements, and bread. The increase in oxidative stabilities of oils was the most cited objective to microencapsulate oils. Spray drying was the most widely used microencapsulation technique, and maltodextrin, gum arabic, and modified starch were the most widely used wall materials.

CONCLUSION

Microencapsulation of oils has been expanding over the years and increasing the possibilities of the use of microcapsules, but further investments and development of policies and incentive programs to boost this technology need to be made in less developed countries. For future perspectives, the microencapsulation technique is already a worldwide trend in the food industry, enabling the development of new products to facilitate their insertion in the consumer market.

Microparticles loaded with fish oil: stability studies, food application and sensory evaluation

AIM

Evaluate the stability of microparticles loaded with fish oil produced by spray drying, spray chilling and by the combination of these techniques (double-shell) and use the microparticles for food application.

METHODS

Samples were stored for 180 days at 6 °C and 24 °C (75% RH). Performed investigations included encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, aw, size (laser scattering), colour (L*, a*, b*), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (GC), thermal behaviour (DSC) and crystalline structure (XRD).

RESULTS

Double-shell microparticles containing 26 wt% core material, 22.74 ± 0.02 µm (D0.5) and 2.05 ± 0.03 span index, 1.262 ± 0.026 wt% moisture content and 0.240 ± 0.001 of aw had PUFAs retention higher than 90 wt% during storage at 6 °C without changes in crystalline structure (β'-type crystals) and melting temperature (54 °C). The sensory evaluation suggested low fish oil release in oral phase digestion.

CONCLUSIONS

Double-shell microparticles were effective to protect and deliver PUFAs.

In vitro fermentation and camellia oil emulsification characteristics of konjac glucomannan octenyl succinate

It is important to select an appropriate emulsifier to overcome the poor stability and dispersibility of the vegetable oils in food system. Previous studies suggest that OSA-modified konjac glucomannan (KGOS) has potential to be used as a food emulsifier. In this study, in vitro fermentation suggested that KGOS could promote the growth of the important intestinal probiotics Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and then promote intestinal fermentation to produce gas and short chain fatty acids. The emulsification experiments indicated that KGOS had good emulsification ability and stability for camellia oil. Under 40 MPa for 90 s homogenization, 0.2% (w/w) KGOS could encapsulate 20% (w/w) camellia oil. The nanoemulsion was stable at a low pH and high concentration of NaCl and ethanol. Konjac glucomannan octenyl succinate encapsulation could prevent the oxidation of camellia oil at 25°C and storage for 30 days.