Characterization of an effective drug carrier system for improved oxidative and thermal stability of essential fatty acids: a review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Essential fatty acids play an important role in promoting brain development, decreasing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, and reducing inflammation. However, they are inherently unstable and susceptible to oxidative deterioration due to two or more double bonds in their structure. Delivery systems have been developed to provide effective encapsulation and protection for sensitive fatty acids, thus fulfilling their health benefits. Emulsion-based microencapsulation is one of the most promising techniques for the delivery of omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. The emulsion composition and structure, as well as the storage conditions are regarded as key factors to influence the shelf life and stability of emulsions. To maximize the resistance of these fatty acids in emulsions against oxidation, emulsion structure design was particularly highlighted, and different methods for tailoring emulsion structure were developed. The current work was focused on the careful design of emulsion structure to improve the oxidative stability and shelf life of fatty acids (FAs). Different types of carrier systems, formulations, including conventional emulsions, multilayer emulsions, gelled emulsions, pickering emulsions, and structures designs are discussed, and their protective effect for FAs are with regard to food fortification is also conferred, particularly the role of interfacial structure in emulsions is emphasized. The effects of emulsifiers and its modification methods on the interfacial structure are presented to improve further the stability of FAs during storage.