Shape control and stability of multicore millimetre‐sized capsules using a combined monoaxial dispersion electrospraying–ionotropic gelation technique

Abstract

AbstractMulticore millimetre‐sized fish oil‐loaded alginate capsules were developed using a combined monoaxial dispersion electrospraying–ionotropic gelation technique and their stability was explored. By adjusting the preparation parameters, the capsule shapes could be irregular, spherical with a short‐tail, spherical, fusiform, and fusiform with a long‐tail. The continuous phase of the millimetre‐sized capsules consisted of hydrophilic alginate calcium and water. Moreover, the water content increased from 17% to 69% with increased alginate concentration (2.5–30 mg mL−1). The capsules prepared with alginate concentration of 10 mg mL−1 or 20 mg mL−1 show a similar loading ratio (about 5–8%) of fish oil during storage. Headspace solid‐phase microextraction–gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (HS‐SPME‐GC‐MS) results confirmed the capsules masked the fishy odour of fish oil. Moreover, fish oil slowly migrated from the inside to the outside of the capsules. This work presented a simple method to prepare multicore millimetre‐sized capsules with controlled shapes and a basic understanding of the effect of encapsulation using alginate to mask the fish oil odour.