Stabilization mechanism of emulsion containing vitamin B12: Impact of preparation methods and surfactant concentration

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the preparation methods and the concentration of polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) on the stability of the water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion. By comparing two different emulsions preparation methods, high-speed shear (16000 rpm) and high-pressure homogenization. We were found that high-speed shear treatment could reduce the particle size of the emulsion more effectively, thus significantly improving the stability of the emulsion. In addition, the effect of PGPR concentration on the stabilization mechanism of the emulsion was also discussed. The results showed that when the concentration of the PGPR was increased from 2 % to 6 %, it effectively prevented emulsion droplets polymerization and improved the stability of the emulsion. When the PGPR concentration was further increased to 10 %, the physical properties of the emulsion were mainly characterized by an increase in viscosity, which further enhanced the stability of the emulsion. In experiments involving the encapsulation of VB12, the encapsulation efficiency (EE) exceeded 95 %, and the retention efficiency (RE) exceeded 85 % even after 21 days of storage, demonstrating excellent stability. This study provided new insights into the preparation of stable water–oil emulsions, particularly regarding the efficient encapsulation and long-term stability of nutrients, and held significant application value for the food and pharmaceutical industries.