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Updated: Jun 16, 2025
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In vitro Digestion of Emulsions in a Single Droplet via Multi Subphase Exchange of Simulated Gastrointestinal Fluids
Published on: November 18, 2022
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Emulsions vs excipient emulsions as α-tocopherol delivery systems: Formulation optimization and behaviour under in
J M Fernandes1, J F Araújo1, R F S Gonçalves1
1Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho Braga, Portugal.
Food Research International (Ottawa, Ont.)
|August 15, 2024
Summary
Oil-in-water emulsions (EM) effectively encapsulate bioactive compounds for functional foods. Novel excipient emulsions (EXC) enhance natural food compound bioavailability, showing great potential for food applications.
Area of Science:
- Food Science and Technology
- Colloid and Surface Chemistry
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Oil-in-water emulsions (EM) are established for encapsulating lipophilic compounds in functional foods.
- Excipient emulsions (EXC) offer a novel approach to enhance the bioavailability of natural food bioactives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the stability and functionality of EM and EXC as delivery systems for α-tocopherol.
- To evaluate the impact of emulsion composition on particle size and stability.
- To assess the protection and bioaccessibility of α-tocopherol during in vitro digestion.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of oil-in-water emulsions using corn oil and lecithin, optimized via experimental design.
- Characterization of particle size, polydispersity index, and stability over 60 days.
- In vitro digestion studies to evaluate α-tocopherol stability and bioaccessibility.
Main Results:
- Optimal formulations (3% lecithin, 5% oil) yielded small particle sizes and high stability.
- α-tocopherol encapsulation did not significantly alter emulsion structure.
- Emulsions provided superior protection for α-tocopherol during digestion (EM stability < 50%, EXC stability < 29%).
- Both EM and EXC significantly increased α-tocopherol bioaccessibility (82-92% for EM, 87-90% for EXC).
Conclusions:
- Emulsions (EM) are more effective carriers for encapsulated bioactive compounds.
- Excipient emulsions (EXC) demonstrate significant potential for improving the bioavailability of natural food bioactives without additional processing.
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