Enhancing stability of echium seed oil and beta-sitosterol by their coencapsulation by complex coacervation using different combinations of wall materials and crosslinkers.

Intake of omega-3 fatty acids and phytosterols aids in the reduction of cholesterol and serum triglycerides. However, both fatty acids and phytosterols are susceptible to oxidation. This work coencapsulated echium oil (source of stearidonic and alpha-linolenic fatty acids) and beta-sitosterol (phytosterol) by complex coacervation using different combinations of wall materials, and sinapic acid (SA) and transglutaminase as crosslinkers. High encapsulation yields were obtained (29-93% for SA; 68-100% for the mixture of oil and phytosterols) and retention of 49-99% and 16% for encapsulated and free SA, at 30 days-storage. Treatment with gelatin-arabic gum and 0.075 g SA/g gelatin showed the best results: 0.07 mg MDA/g capsule, and retention of 96, 90 and 74% for alpha-linolenic, stearidonic acid and beta-sitosterol at 30 days of storage, respectively. Thus, coencapsulation of echium oil and phytosterol using SA as the crosslinker was possible, obtaining effective vehicles for protection and application of these compounds in foods.

Development of functional yogurt containing free and encapsulated echium oil, phytosterol and sinapic acid.

The consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and phytosterol promotes the reduction of cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. However, such compounds are susceptible to oxidation, which hampers their application. The objective of this work was to coencapsulate echium oil, phytosterols and sinapic acid (crosslinker/antioxidant), and incorporate the obtained microcapsules into yogurt. The microcapsules were evaluated for particle size, accelerated oxidation by Rancimat, and simulation of gastric/intestinal release. The yogurts were assessed for morphology, pH, titratable acidity, color, rheology and sensory analysis. The microcapsules (13-42µm) promoted protection against oil oxidation (induction time of 54.96h). The yogurt containing microcapsules, presented a pH range from 3.89 to 4.17 and titratable acidity range from 0.798 to 0.826%, with good sensorial acceptance. It was possible to apply the microcapsules in yogurt, without compromising the rheological properties and physicochemical stability of the product.