Improving the storage and oxidative stability of essential fatty acids by different encapsulation methods; a review.

Linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid are the only essential fatty acids (EFAs) known to the human body. Other fatty acids (FAs) of the omega-6 and omega-3 families originate from linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid, respectively, by the biological processes of elongation and desaturation. In diets with low fish consumption or vegetarianism, these FAs play an exclusive role in providing two crucial FAs for maintaining our body's vital functions; docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid. However, these polyunsaturated FAs are inherently sensitive to oxidation, thereby adversely affecting the storage stability of oils containing them. In this study, we reviewed encapsulation as one of the promising solutions to increase the stability of EFAs. Accordingly, five main encapsulation techniques could be classified: (i) spray drying, (ii) freeze drying, (iii) emulsification, (iv) liposomal entrapment, and (v) other methods, including electrospinning/spraying, complex coacervation, etc. Among these, spray drying was the frequently applied technique for encapsulation of EFAs, followed by freeze dryers. In addition, maltodextrin and gum Arabic were the main wall materials in carriers. Paying attention to industrial scalability and lower cost of the encapsulation process by the other methods are the important aspects that should be given more attention in the future.

The influence of different gums compared with surfactants as encapsulating stabilizers on the thermal, storage, and low-pH stability of chlorophyllin.

Sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC), with a higher stability and water solubility than chlorophyll, has limited applications in acidic products due to precipitation. We investigated the effect of pectin (PE), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthan gum (XG), carrageenan gum (CG), gellan gum (GG), tragacanth gum (TG), gum Arabic (GA), and polysorbate 80 (PS80) on SCC stability in acidic model solutions (pH = 3.5). These stabilizers led to a significant reduction in particle size and zeta-potential compared to control sample. GA (33.3:1), PE (8:1), CMC (4:1), XG (1.33:1), and PS80 (0.67:1) stabilized SCC in acidic systems for 28 days. The FTIR analysis showed that mainly electrostatic and hydrogen bonds between SCC and stabilizers led to a substantial decline in particle size, improving SCC distribution and stability within acidic environment. Thus, XG and CMC could be effectively used for SCC stabilization under acidic solutions where applying PS80 surfactant is a health concern.

Practical application of nanoencapsulated nutraceuticals in real food products; a systematic review.

In recent decades, due to the increase in awareness, most consumers prefer foods that not only satisfy their primal urge of hunger but also include health-promoting effects on the body. Therefore, the food industry has an increasing tendency to apply the nutrients (like vitamins, essential fatty acids and minerals) and replace synthetic additives with natural bioactives (like phenolics and essential oils) to produce functional products. However, low dispersibility and shelf-stability as well as presenting unpleasant taste and odor are the most critical barriers for direct incorporation of these useful compounds into foods. In this context, nanoencapsulation has been proposed as a relatively new solution to overcome the mentioned limitations. However, fewer studies have focused on incorporating the bioactive-loaded nanocarriers into the food matrices. This study intends to help the development of functional food production by doing an exhaustive review on the incorporation of nanoencapsulated ingredients into the real food system and resulted interaction of nanocarriers and food products. According to the literature, incorporation of the nanoencapsulated bioactive ingredients into foods can be effectively used to enhance their stability during the processing and storage stage and their bioavailability as well as to delay lipid oxidation and microbial growth in food, without negatively affecting physicochemical, organoleptic and qualitative properties. However, some published results to date declared that food matrix might adversely affect the bioavailability and antimicrobial activity of nanoencapsulated ingredients. It seems that further studies are required to contribute to the choice of appropriate healthy ingredients and wall materials for incorporating into a given food structure.

Using the mixture design approach to predict the rheological properties of low-calorie dairy desserts containing gum tragacanth exuded by three Iranian Astragalus species.

In this study, the flow behavior and creep parameters of saffron desserts containing gum tragacanth combinations of three species were modeled by the mixture design approach. Flow behavior and creep-recovery experiments were performed and models were predicted for apparent viscosity, consistency index, flow index, instantaneous compliance, and viscoelastic compliance. Five representative samples regarding the range of apparent viscosity at the shear rate of 50 s-1 were subjected to sensory evaluation. According to rheological measurements, the addition of GT species of A. gossypinus led to the production of a dessert with a strong structure. Then, two samples with the highest consistency index and the lowest creep parameters were compared with two commercial saffron desserts. The results revealed that the overall acceptance of the two selected samples [containing 4% (w/w) A. gossypinus or 2.66% (w/w) A. gossypinus and 1.33% (w/w) A. fluccosus] was similar to those of the two commercial samples.