Abstract
Homogenizers are commonly used to produce oil-in-water emulsions that consist of emulsifier-coated oil droplets suspended within an aqueous phase. The functional attributes of emulsions are usually controlled by selecting appropriate ingredients (e.g., surfactants, co-surfactants, oils, solvents, and co-solvents) and processing conditions (e.g., homogenizer type and operating conditions). However, the functional attributes of emulsions can also be tailored after homogenization by manipulating their composition, structure, or physical state. The interfacial properties of lipid droplets can be altered using competitive adsorption or coating methods (such as electrostatic deposition). The physical state of oil droplets can be altered by selecting an oil phase that crystallizes after the emulsion has been formed. The composition of the disperse phase can be altered by mixing different kinds of oil droplets together to induce inter-droplet exchange of oil molecules. The local environment of oil droplets can be altered by embedding them within hydrogel beads. The aggregation state of oil droplets can be controlled by promoting flocculation. These post-homogenization methods can be used to alter functional attributes such as physical stability, rheology, optical properties, chemical degradation, retention/release properties, and/or gastrointestinal fate.
Highlights
Oil-in-water emulsions and nanoemulsions are commonly used in the food, cosmetics, health care, supplement and pharmaceutical industries to encapsulate, protect, and release non-polar compounds [1,2,3,4]
The purpose of this review article is to highlight the potential of post-homogenization methods for altering the properties of the droplets in emulsions so that they can be tailored for specific applications
Oil-in-water emulsions can be prepared using a variety of different oils, which provides some flexibility over the disperse phase composition
Summary
Oil-in-water emulsions and nanoemulsions are commonly used in the food, cosmetics, health care, supplement and pharmaceutical industries to encapsulate, protect, and release non-polar compounds [1,2,3,4]. Some homogenization methods are only capable of producing small droplets using certain types of oils and surfactants These components may not have the desired functional attributes, e.g., the surfactant used to form the emulsion may not lead to droplets that are stable over the intended range of environmental conditions the emulsion will experience in a commercial application. For certain commercial applications it may be important to have very small droplets so as to create products that are optically transparent or that have high oral bioavailability In this case, it may be possible to use a post-homogenization method to further reduce the size of the droplets in an emulsion after it has been produced. The purpose of this review article is to highlight the potential of post-homogenization methods for altering the properties of the droplets in emulsions so that they can be tailored for specific applications
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