Physical and oxidation stability of self-emulsifying krill oil-in-water emulsions

Food Funct. 2016 Aug 10;7(8):3590-8. doi: 10.1039/c6fo00045b. Epub 2016 Jul 22.

Abstract

Krill oil is a unique source of omega-3 fatty acids since it is a mixture of phospholipids and triacylglycerols. Due to the presence of phospholipids, it can form oil-in-water emulsions without additional food additives. In this work, the physical stability of krill oil-in-water emulsions was determined at various pH values (3-7) and NaCl concentrations (50-1000 mM). The initial particle size ranged from 150 to 165 nm. The emulsions were the most stable at pH ≥ 5.0 and salt concentrations below 100 mM. Lipid oxidation was accelerated by iron and inhibited by Trolox and α-tocopherol. Trolox was a more effective antioxidant than α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol had a better inhibitory effect when it was added after homogenization than when added to the lipid prior to homogenization. These results indicate that krill oil emulsions could represent a self-emulsifying, oxidatively stable source of omega-3 fatty acids that may be used in functional foods.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / chemistry
  • Chromans / chemistry
  • Emulsions*
  • Euphausiacea / chemistry*
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / chemistry*
  • Functional Food*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Iron / chemistry
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Oils / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Particle Size
  • Phospholipids / chemistry
  • Physical Phenomena
  • Tocopherols / chemistry

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Chromans
  • Emulsions
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Oils
  • Phospholipids
  • Iron
  • Tocopherols
  • 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid