Effect of oil-droplet size on the oxidation of microencapsulated methyl linoleate

Effects of oil-droplet size, the weight ratio of oil to wall material and the storage temperature on the oxidation of methyl linoleate microencapsulated with maltodextrin by spray-drying were examined. The oxidation of methyl linoleate was more retarded for the microcapsules prepared from the emulsion having smaller oil droplets. The oxidation was more suppressed for the microcapsules having a lower weight ratio of oil to wall material. The fraction of unoxidized methyl linoleate leveled off after 10- to 15-days storage. The level, Y(infinity), depended on the weight ratio. The dependence of Y(infinity) on the weight ratio was analyzed based on the percolation theory, and the three-dimensional model of the theory was suitable to express the dependence. The effect of the storage temperature on the oxidation of microencapsulated methyl linoleate was also examined, and the activation energy was evaluated. The value of the energy suggested that the oxidation itself was a rate-limiting step for the oxidation of methyl linoleate encapsulated with maltodextrin.