Effect of microencapsulation on physical properties of powder developed from blended oils rich in PUFA

Microencapsulation of oil samples such as flaxseed oil, blended oils such as flaxseed-sesame oil and flaxseed-rice bran oil rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids was carried out through spray drying technique. During this study, emulsions were prepared and homogenized at 1000 rpm to prepare the stable emulsion. About 8% (w/w) of oils were encapsulated with maltodextrin as wall material and Tween 20 as an emulsifier, yielding a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) microencapsulated oil powder. The physical properties of powders were calculated based on the bulk density and tapped density observations. Apart from these, Carr's index (C) and Hausner's ratio evaluated to study the flow properties of microencapsulated powders ranged between 30 and 39 for Carr's index and 1.40-1.64 for Hausner ratio, respectively. The results of moisture content stated that oil-encapsulated powders exhibited higher shelf life due to lower moisture content values of 2-4%. Encapsulation efficiency of 73%, 60%, and 80% was achieved for flaxseed oil powder, flaxseed-sesame oil powder, and flaxseed-rice bran oil powder, respectively. Powders high in PUFA such as omega-3 and omega-6 are beneficial for addressing variety of health issues, that can be used most convenient way to receive important nutrients in our period of health issues.