Interfacial characteristics and microchannel emulsification of oleuropein-containing triglyceride oil–water systems

Abstract

This study investigated the adsorption characteristics of olive leaf water extract and its major phenolic compound, oleuropein, at the triglyceride oil–water interface. We also investigated the preparation characteristics of food-grade triglyceride oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions stabilized by oleuropein using microchannel (MC) emulsification. Refined soybean oil, extra virgin olive oil, refined olive oil, and medium-chain triacylglyceride (MCT) oil were used as triglyceride oils. Both olive leaf extract (OLE) and highly purified oleuropein had a pronounced ability to decrease the interfacial tension at the refined soybean oil–water interface. The packing of oleuropein molecules at the triglyceride oil–water interface was estimated on the basis of their surface excess concentration and area occupied per molecule, determined from the Gibbs adsorption equation. MC emulsification was performed using a silicon grooved MC array plate (model CMS6-2). The continuous aqueous phase contained 0.6wt.% of oleuropein. Monodisperse, oleuropein-stabilized O/W emulsions with an average droplet diameter of 25μm and coefficient of variation (CV) of <5% were produced in all systems, except the MCT oil-containing system, even in the absence of a cross-flowing continuous phase. This successful MC emulsification was observed without droplet coalescence for 15h of continuous operation. Our findings demonstrate that the use of oleuropein, which has an interfacial activity, is capable of producing monodisperse O/W emulsions using MC emulsification and stabilizing the generated oil droplets when appropriate types of triglyceride oils are used.