Bioactive and technological functionality of a lipid extract from shrimp (L. vannamei) cephalothorax

Abstract

Lipid extract from shrimp cephalothorax (LES) is a potential functional food ingredient because of its astaxanthin, α-tocopherol, and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents. This work aims at evaluating its bioactive (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant) and technological (potential for aqueous food applications) functionalities. LES was encapsulated by spray-drying, yielding a powder that was readily soluble in water. The resulting solution presented an attractive reddish colour, contrary to non-encapsulated LES. Encapsulated LES exerted anti-inflammatory activity at concentrations ≥100 μg/mL, as well as lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant activity. In contrast, non-encapsulated LES did not show any of these bioactivities when dissolved in water. Irrespective of processing temperature (20 °C/100 °C) or refrigerated storage time (up to 6 days at 5 °C ± 1 °C), the colour, astaxanthin content, and fatty acid composition of the encapsulated LES were relatively stable. Gelatin gels and films containing the emulsified or encapsulated LES had a homogeneous reddish colour, as well as minor physicochemical modifications (viscoelastic properties, gel strength, film water solubility, and water vapor permeability). Furthermore, the encapsulation process increased the bioaccessibility of astaxanthin to 100%, in comparison with non-emulsified LES-added samples. In conclusion, spray-dried encapsulated LES is a promising functional food ingredient, especially for aqueous applications.