Spray-dried multilayered emulsions as a delivery method for omega-3 fatty acids into food systems

Emulsion can be produced with electrostatic layer-by-layer deposition technologies to have cationic, thick multilayer interfacial membranes that are effective at inhibiting the oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids. This study investigated the stability of spray-dried multilayer emulsion upon reconstitution into an aqueous system. The primary (lecithin) and multilayered secondary emulsions (lecithin and chitosan) were spray-dried with corn syrup solids (1-20 wt %). The lecithin-chitosan multilayer interfacial membrane remained intact on the emulsion droplets upon reconstitution into an aqueous system. Reconstituted secondary (lecithin-chitosan) emulsions were more oxidatively stable than reconstituted primary (lecithin) emulsions. A minimum of 5 wt % corn syrup solids was needed to microencapsulate the secondary emulsion droplets. Maximum oxidative stability of both the powder and the reconstituted secondary emulsions was observed in samples with 5% and 20% corn syrup solids. Addition of EDTA (25 microM) inhibited oxidation of reconstituted primary and secondary emulsions. These studies suggest that a microencapsulated multilayered emulsion system could be used as a delivery system for omega-3 fatty acids in functional foods.