Production of Alginate-based Emulsion Microgel Particles to Encapsulate Soybean Oil Emulsions Stabilized by Whey Protein Aggregates Using an Air-atomization System

NIIZAWA I; SIHUFE GA; ZORRILLA SE

JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Año: 2023

0021-8995

Encapsulation is a popular approach used to incorporate lipophilic bioactive moleculesin food matrices. In the present work, soybean oil emulsions with different oil volumefractions (ϕ=0.17 and ϕ=0.26) stabilized by whey protein aggregates (WPAg), weremixed with sodium alginate (SA) suspensions and atomized over a calcium gelling bathusing an airbrush atomization system to obtain emulsion microgel particles (EMP).Rheological measurements of the mixtures of microgel-stabilized emulsions and SAsuspensions showed a significant increase in viscosity when the oil volume fractionwas increased. The analysis of the flow curves showed that viscosity decreased withthe increase of shear rate for both systems indicating shear thinning behavior. Nodifference in the size distribution curves of EMP obtained with different oil fractions wasobserved. The average [[EQUATION]] and span values were 509±56 μm, 1.14±0.08(ϕ=0.17), and 527±51 μm, 1.19±0.06 (ϕ=0.26). The encapsulation efficiency in bothcases was acceptable (89±5% for ϕ=0.17 and 74±8% for ϕ=0.26), and none of themicroparticles showed oil release after 2 months of storage. Results showed that theairbrush atomization system to obtain EMP is simple, low-cost, and does not requireheating, making it appropriate for the effective encapsulation of labile lipophiliccompounds in the food industry.