Encapsulation of Fish Oil Into Low‐Cost Alginate Beads and EPA‐DHA Release in a Rumino‐Intestinal In Vitro Digestion Model

Abstract

Fish oil‐origin eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are encapsulated with formulated alginate to prevent biohydrogenation in the rumen. Beads are formulated with 0.3%, 1.0%, and 2.0% of alginate. Bead surface pore‐formation is characterized by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Observed pore sizes according to alginate concentration are 17–33 μm (0.3%), 10–18 μm (1.0%), and 5–10 μm (2.0%). Release of EPA and DHA is evaluated during ruminal, abomasal, and intestinal simulated digestion. Beads shows high percentage of encapsulation efficiency (91.39% from EPA and 93.51% from DHA). Beads designed (1.0%) allows to obtain EPA release of 13.65% (ruminal digestion), 29.07% (abomasal digestion), and 28.21% (intestinal digestion); while, DHA releases under the same conditions are: 18.55%, 26.78%, and 43.16%, respectively. Beads with 1.0% of alginate had the best release pattern during ruminal simulated digestion allowing an increased intestinal availability of EPA and DHA.Practical Applications: Fish oil encapsulation into alginate beads is a good alternative for ruminant diets supplementation, which will allow to get animal origin food (milk and meat, mainly) enriched with essential fatty acids such as EPA and DHA.Alginate beads are used as encapsulating material to prevent the biohydrogenation of EPA and DHA fatty acids during simulated ruminal digestion. The encapsulated efficiency and the release are calculated by GC