Inhibition of lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of emulsified triglyceride oils by low-molecular weight surfactants under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

Abstract

The effect of low-molecular weight surfactants on the digestibility of lipids in protein-stabilized corn oil-in-water emulsions was studied using an in vitro digestion model. The impact of non-ionic (Tween 20, Tween 80, Brij35), anionic (SDS), and cationic (DTAB) surfactants on the rate and extent of lipid digestion was studied. All surfactants were found to inhibit lipid digestion at sufficiently high concentrations, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 1.2% for Tween 20, 0.7% for Tween 80, 2.8% for Brij35, 1.1% for SDS, and 1.4% for DTAB. The effectiveness of the surfactants at inhibiting lipid digestion was therefore not strongly correlated to the electrical characteristics of the surfactant head group, since the IC50 increased in the following order: Tween 80 > SDS > Tween 20 > DTAB > Brij35. The ability of these low-molecular weight surfactants to inhibit lipid digestion was attributed to a number of potential mechanisms: (i) prevention of lipase/co-lipase adsorption to the oil–water interface; (ii) formation of interfacial complexes; (iii) direct interaction and inactivation of lipase/co-lipase. Interestingly, DTAB increased the rate and extent of lipid digestion when present at relatively low concentrations. This may have been because this cationic surfactant facilitated the adsorption of lipase to the droplet surfaces through electrostatic attraction, or it bound directly to the lipase molecule thereby changing its structure and activity. A number of the surfactants themselves were found to be susceptible to enzyme digestion by pancreatic enzymes in the absence of lipids: Tween 20, Tween 80, Brij35, and DTAB. This work has important implications for the development of emulsion-based delivery systems for food and pharmaceutical applications.