Double Emulsion System Research Articles

Development and stability evaluation of double emulsions enriched with Anthocyanins from Juçara

This study aimed to develop double emulsions enriched with anthocyanins extracted from juçara, a fruit rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties. Anthocyanins are promising natural colorants but present instability to pH and temperature variations, limiting their application. Encapsulation in double emulsions (W/O/W) is an effective solution to increase the stability and retention of these compounds. The main objective was to develop and evaluate the stability of the double emulsions, aiming to protect the anthocyanins during processing. The methodology included the anthocyanins extraction from juçara and the formation of primary emulsions, followed by incorporation into external aqueous phases, testing different (W/O)/W proportions and concentrations of Arabic gum. The most stable double emulsion showed higher anthocyanin retention, with an encapsulation efficiency of 98.04%. The double emulsion system proved effective in protecting anthocyanins against different pHs, temperatures, and storage times, highlighting its potential for application as natural colorants in foods.

Ultrasound-assisted food-grade double emulsion system for vitamin E and omega-3 encapsulation

Double emulsions are widely employed to encapsulate oxygen sensitive compounds. Low-frequency ultrasound (20 kHz) was used to design a novel food-grade O/W/O double emulsion delivery system with TFE (tannins-free extracts) and 1% psyllium husk. Three and nine distinct formulations were created to form single and double emulsions, respectively. The optimal formulation was 81% sunflower oil and 19% psyllium husk (1% concentration) for double emulsion. The additional TFE delayed lipid oxidation in the emulsion, as indicated by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values. Microstructural evaluation of the TEF double emulsion used optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The TEF double emulsion showed a zeta-potential of 23.25(mV) ±3.465. The feasibility of TFE double emulsion delivery system was investigated by encapsulating vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and omega-3 fatty acids. The ORAC values of the TFE double emulsions containing omega-3 or vitamin E were 371.06±15.31 and 378.32±11.23 μM Trolox/g, respectively, and remained stable after 30 days of storage.

Encapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum in W1/O/W2 double emulsions stabilized with the high-intensity ultrasound-treated pea protein and pectin

This study focuses on developing a water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion system using high-intensity ultrasound (HIU)-treated pea protein isolate (HIU-PPI) and pectin to encapsulate Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum). The effects of ultrasound treatment on pea protein isolate (PPI) characteristics such as solubility, particle size, emulsification, surface hydrophobicity, and surface free sulfhydryl group were examined, determining optimal HIU processing conditions was 400 W for 10 min. The developed W1/O/W2 double emulsion system based on HIU-PPI demonstrated effective encapsulation and protection of L. plantarum, especially at the HIU-PPI concentration of 4 %, achieving an encapsulation efficiency of 52.65 %. Incorporating both HIU-PPI and pectin as emulsifiers increased the particle size and significantly enhanced the emulsion’s viscosity. The highest bacterial encapsulation efficiency of the emulsion, 59.94 %, was attained at a HIU to pectin concentration ratio of 3:1. These emulsions effectively encapsulate and protect L. plantarum, with the concentration of HIU-PPI being a critical factor in enhancing probiotic survival under simulated gastrointestinal digestion. However, the concurrent utilization of pectin and HIU-PPI as emulsifiers did not provide a notable advantage compared to the exclusive use of HIU-PPI in enhancing probiotic viability during in vitro simulated digestion. This research offers valuable perspectives for the food industry on harnessing environmentally friendly, plant-based proteins as emulsifiers in probiotic delivery systems. It underscores the potential of HIU-modified pea protein and pectin in developing functional food products that promote the health benefits of probiotics.

Physicochemical and digestion properties of fish oil and anthocyanins co-encapsulated W/O/W emulsion reinforced with alginate

W/O/W double emulsion systems offer the ability to co-deliver water-soluble and oil-soluble bioactives, making them a promising choice for multifunctional delivery applications. This study focused on the development of a whey protein isolate-based W/O/W emulsion encapsulating fish oil and anthocyanins, with the addition of sodium alginate (SA) into the external aqueous phase. The physicochemical properties, emulsion stability, anthocyanins encapsulation efficiency (EE), and anthocyanins release during simulated gastrointestinal digestion were studied. The results indicated that the physical stability of W/O/W emulsions improved with increasing SA, attributed to the higher viscosity and the protective coating of SA on the WPI-stabilized interface. However, the EE of anthocyanins in SA-reinforced W/O/W emulsions was found to be lower. Excessive SA concentration, such as 1.0 %, was observed to be unfavorable to maintaining the internal W1/O interface integrity. Overall, the double emulsion structure effectively regulated the release of anthocyanins throughout the digestion process. The study concluded that W/O/W emulsions containing 0.75 % SA achieved optimal stability and controlled-release characteristics. These findings offer valuable insights into fabricating double emulsions for multifunctional delivery purposes, showcasing their potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Encapsulation of probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum) in soyasaponin–soybean protein isolate water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsion for improved probiotic survival in the gastrointestinal tract

In this study, soyasaponin (Ssa), corn oil, and soybean protein isolate (SPI) were used to prepare a water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion system that can protect Lactobacillus plantarum (L.P) in the upper gastrointestinal tract for delivery to the small intestine and colon. Incorporating different amounts of L.P (0.1–0.6% (w/v)) in the W/O/W double emulsion caused the viscoelastic modulus and droplet size of the L.P-embedded emulsion system to change, and the emulsion system transformed from a non-Newtonian fluid to a “solid-like” gel. These results revealed that L.P encapsulation led to significantly improved stability of the W/O/W emulsion. In addition, different concentrations of L.P had different effects on the survival rate of L.P in simulated digestive fluids, and after in vitro digestion, L.P was naturally delivered from the stomach into the intestines. The optimal concentration of L.P for obtaining a stable emulsion was found to be 0.3%, and the survival rate of the encapsulated L.P in the small intestine was as high as 78.96% after 1 h. Thus, choosing an appropriate amount of L.P was crucial. The W/O/W emulsion system effectively maintained the viability of L.P and successfully delivered it to the small intestine and colon.

Encapsulation of Indicaxanthin-Rich Opuntia Green Extracts by Double Emulsions for Improved Stability and Bioaccessibility.

Opuntia ficus-indica var. Colorada fruit is an important source of indicaxanthin, a betalain with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuromodulatory potential, proven in both in vitro and in vivo models. Other betalains and phenolic compounds with bioactive activities have also been identified in Colorada fruit extracts. These compounds may degrade by their exposure to different environmental factors, so in the present research, two double emulsion systems (W1/O/W2) were elaborated using Tween 20 (TW) and sodium caseinate (SC) as surfactants to encapsulate Colorada fruit pulp extracts, with the aim of enhancing their stability during storage. Encapsulation efficiencies of up to 97.3 ± 2.7%, particle sizes between 236 ± 4 and 3373 ± 64 nm, and zeta potential values of up to ∣46.2∣ ± 0.3 mV were obtained. In addition, the evaluation of the in vitro gastro-intestinal stability and bioaccessibility of the main individual bioactives was carried out by standardized INFOGEST© protocol, obtaining the highest values for the encapsulated extract bioactives in comparison with the non-encapsulated extract (control). Especially, TW double emulsion showed bioaccessibility values of up to 82.8 ± 1.5% for the main bioactives (indicaxanthin, piscidic acid, and isorhamnetin glucoxyl-rhamnosyl-pentoside 2 (IG2)), indicating a promising potential for its use as a functional natural colorant ingredient.

Tailored Fluorosurfactants through Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization for Highly Stable Microfluidic Droplet Generation.

Droplet-based microfluidics represents a disruptive technology in the field of chemistry and biology through the generation and manipulation of sub-microlitre droplets. To avoid droplet coalescence, fluoropolymer-based surfactants are commonly used to reduce the interfacial tension between two immiscible phases to stabilize droplet interfaces. However, the conventional preparation of fluorosurfactants involves multiple steps of conjugation reactions between fluorinated and hydrophilic segments to form multiple-block copolymers. In addition, synthesis of customized surfactants with tailored properties is challenging due to the complex synthesis process. Here, we report a highly efficient synthetic method that utilizes living radical polymerization (LRP) to produce fluorosurfactants with tailored functionalities. Compared to the commercialized surfactant, our surfactants outperform in thermal cycling for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and exhibit exceptional biocompatibility for cell and yeast culturing in a double-emulsion system. This breakthrough synthetic approach has the potential to revolutionize the field of droplet-based microfluidics by enabling the development of novel designs that generate droplets with superior stability and functionality for a wide range of applications.

PH-responsive double emulsion system for targeted anticancer therapy based on polyacrylic acid-polyvinyl pyrrolidone containing carbon nanotubes for 5-fluorouracil as an anticancer medication

The second most significant cause of death among females is considered as breast cancer. Nowadays, many treatments are used to stop and control cancerous cells; among all, chemotherapy and anticancer medications have been applied to most patients for a long time. Although these methods successfully treat cancer, various harmful and unwanted side effects increase pain and suffering for the patients, including drug resistance, high toxicity, and non-targeting. Among different chemotherapy medications, 5-FU is one of the famous chemotherapeutic medications used to treat multiple tumors for over 70 years. With nanomaterials' help, intelligent drug delivery systems have been provided to carry different anticancer medications with minimal side effects. CNTs are well-known nanoparticles that could be used as carriers for smart drug delivery systems. Having an appropriate porosity, low toxicity, and transport, and regulating the amount of drug released make CNTs a suitable candidate as carriers in drug delivery systems. In this work, a combination of CNT nanoparticleswith PAA and PVP polymers was used to fabricate CNT/PAA/PVP nanocomposite as a drug delivery system, and 5-FU was encapsulated in the synthesized nanocarrier as an anticancer medication against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line with double emulsion technique (W-O-W). FT-IR and XRD analyses have been used to investigate different physical interactions and the crystalline behavior of the nanocomposite particles, respectively. DLS and Zeta potential identified nanoemulsions' average size distribution and surface charge. FESEM images were used to investigate the morphology features of the nanocarrier. The encapsulation and loading efficiency in CNT-PAA-PVP@5-FU nanocomposite was around 88.00 % and 45.5 %, respectively. The release pattern of 5-FU in the nanocomposite in the neutral and acidic conditions followed Korsmeyer-Peppas and Higuchi kinetic models, respectively. The pattern also proved that the release was pH-dependent and controlled in various media. MTT test verified a good cytotoxicity for the nanocomposite, and flow cytometry showed that the apoptotic percentage against MCF-7 in the nanocarrier was higher than free 5-FU. In light of these findings, the CNT-PAA-PVP@5-FU drug delivery system can be used to transport pharmaceuticals to cancerous tumors with fewer side effects compared to old treatments.

Meat, dairy and vegetable emulsions: Recent innovations in the development of functional, healthy and more stable foods

Applications of formulations that incorporate emulsified oils offer interesting prospects for producing foods with better characteristics that are in line with the new trends in healthy eating and the new regulations on nutritional claims. This review defines and classifies the types of emulsions according to their drop size, formulation and analyzes the latest research related to the application of emulsions in the food industry. It presents valuable information on the use of micro, nano and macro emulsions for the preparation of meat, dairy and vegetable products as a potential alternative in the transport of bioactive compounds, reformulations with better lipid profiles and substitution ingredients of meat origin by ingredients of plant origin, obtaining foods with acceptable functional and sensory properties. New advances in the emulsion industry open up great possibilities in the delivery of health products, however, there are still limitations in the use of ingredients of plant origin in products formulated in considerable percentages with ingredients of animal origin. There are opportunities to improve the technology of food emulsion, the application at an industrial level is a step that is being taken little by little in congruence with the economic viability of the use of vegetable oils in the reformulation and the demand of current consumers for delivery of products with a clean label. It is suggested to study the economic feasibility of the industrial application of the use of single and double emulsion systems as a substitute ingredient for animal fats.

Maximising olive oil by‐products

Maximising olive oil by‐products

Fabrication of gelatin-EGCG-pectin ternary complex stabilized W/O/W double emulsions by ultrasonic emulsification: Physicochemical stability, rheological properties and structure

Double emulsions have very promising application prospects in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Nevertheless, its usage in the food industry is restricted mainly due to its immense stability problems. Here, W 1 /O/W 2 double emulsion was prepared by two-step emulsification method using ultrasonic emulsification technology. The physicochemical stability, rheological properties, thermal stability, and microstructure of the double emulsion were investigated. The results revealed that W 1 /O/W 2 double emulsion with optimum stability was prepared on the parameters that the ratio of W 1 (gelatin)/O primary emulsion to the external aqueous phase (gelatin-EGCG-high methoxyl pectin ternary complex) was 6:4, ultrasonic power was 80 W, ultrasonic time was 6 min, and ternary complex concentration was 0.75%. The double emulsion produced under these conditions had the smallest particle size (1143 nm) and the maximum absolute zeta potential value (39.17 ± 0.50 mV). The results of full-featured stability analyzer manifested that the emulsion system no longer underwent phase separation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) successfully observed a uniformly dispersed double emulsion. Furthermore, dynamic rheological properties demonstrated that the cohesive strength of W 1 /O/W 2 double emulsion was strength than that of W 1 /O primary emulsion. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis suggested that both remained stable throughout the temperature change, while the W 1 /O/W 2 double emulsion was more thermally stable. Hence, the gelatin-EGCG-high methoxyl pectin ternary complex can act as an effective emulsion stabilizer to stabilize the W 1 /O/W 2 double emulsion. • W/O/W double emulsions were prepared by ultrasonic emulsification method. • Ultrasonic treatment improves the physical stability of the emulsion. • The optimally stable double emulsion system no longer exhibits phase separation. • Ternary complex can be used as emulsion stabilizer to stabilize double emulsion. • Cohesive strength of the double emulsion is enhanced after ultra-sonication.

Flavor Formation of Stable Double Emulsion Systems with Encapsulated Biologically Active Substances

Ensuring the functional food ingredients stability and the flavor formation of foods fortified with them meets the healthy nutrition principles, which contributes to the human and future generations health, as well as reduces the disease risk. The research aim was to study the biologically impact of the active substances encapsulation into double emulsion food systems (DEFS) on the organoleptic profile formation and the biologically active substances resistance to oxidation. The study demonstrated the comparative organoleptic analysis results of the inverse emulsion with fish oil and DEFS o/w/o with fish oil encapsulated in the internal phase of the emulsion matrix; direct emulsion with vitamin B1 (thiamine) and DEFS w/o/w with vitamin B1 encapsulated in the internal phase of the emulsion matrix; as well as the oxidation stability study results of fish oil in the composition of the inverse emulsion and dual emulsion system during storage. A man compiled organoleptic profiles of control samples and DEFS with encapsulated BAS. The results showed that the fish oil and vitamin B1 encapsulation in DEFS contributed to the color and flavor correction – deodorization and elimination of fish oil and vitamin B1 aftertaste and off-flavours. Study confirmed the effectiveness of fish oil encapsulation in DEFS, expressed in increasing its resistance to oxidation. During storage, the fat oxidation intensity in the control sample was higher than in the double emulsion system. The peroxide value in the control sample increased 6 times during storage and amounted to 7.9 mmol of active oxygen per 1 kg of fat, while in the double emulsion food system the increase was only 4 times, from 1.3 on the first day of storage to 5.1 on the 35th day. On average, for every 7 days of storage the peroxide value grew by 1.32 for the control sample and by 0.76 for the double emulsion system.

Electrically modulated cross-stream migration of a compound drop in micro-confined oscillatory flow

In this work, we present a means of controlling the cross-stream trajectory of a compound drop under the combined action of a transverse electric field and an oscillatory axial pressure gradient in a microfluidic channel. We bring out the decisive role of the flow pulsation in delaying the drop's attainment of a steady-state transverse position. With an enhancement in the frequency of oscillation, both the axial and transverse movement of the drop may be preferentially attenuated, with its dynamic traversal occurring in a locus offset to the central axis as precisely set in by the action of transverse electric forcing, to bring in exclusive controllability on the drop trajectory along with its eventual position of settlement. Moreover, our results also decipher that the value of the viscosity ratio between inner-to-outer droplet phases having less than unity delays the compound drop migration, whereas the converse enhances the same. In addition, we observe that a leaky dielectric compound drop having the electrical permittivity ratio of the inner-to-outer droplet phase surpassing their respective electrical conductivity ratio is not only capable of selectively altering the direction of the resulting drop trajectory from toward the channel centerline to away from the same but at the same time facilitates a precise settling of the same at an intermediate transverse location by harnessing the interplay of electrical and hydrodynamic shear. We further identify the key dimensionless parameters along with their desirable ranges accountable for the directional switching of the drop trajectory with high specificity. These findings open up novel perspectives of controllable maneuvering of the double emulsion system in a confined microenvironment bearing decisive implications in engineering and biology.

Reaction‐controlled microgel‐lipase co‐stabilized compartmentalized emulsion for recyclable biodiesel production

AbstractPickering emulsions have been widely used for biphasic catalysis in the past decade. However, it remains a great challenge to achieve simple product collection and enzyme recovery. Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)‐based microgels can endow Pickering emulsions with stimuli‐responsiveness, while most microgel‐stabilized emulsions are oil‐in‐water (O/W) type and not ideal for interfacial catalysis. Besides, altering temperature or pH value for demulsification is time‐ and energy‐consuming and may cause irreversible deactivation of enzymes. In this work, inverse water‐in‐oil (W/O) Pickering emulsions were formed using hexanoic acid‐swollen microgels as the sole emulsifiers. When lipase was added in the water phase, stable oil‐in‐water‐in‐oil (O/W/O) Pickering double emulsions could be formed through one‐step emulsification, owing to the synergistic effect of the hydrophobic microgels and hydrophilic lipase at the interface. Compared with other biphasic systems, such double emulsion systems represent a desirable platform for highly efficient biodiesel production because of the ultra‐high interfacial areas and fast mass transport between two phases. More importantly, the switchable transition between hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of microgels is controlled by the catalytic reaction. Therefore, double emulsions demulsify spontaneously when substrates are used up without the need for energy input or loss of enzymatic activity, enabling the facile collection of products and demonstrating the excellent recyclability of the biphasic catalysis system.

A comprehensive methodology to study double emulsion stability

HypothesisThe stability of emulsions requires the fast formation of viscoelastic interfaces between water and oil phases. In double emulsions, two surfactant types (hydrophilic and lipophilic) are present and two interfacial films are involved. Understanding cooperative adsorption of these surfactants and its implication on properties of water/oil/water interfacial films will enable replacing the empirical methodologies used in designing double emulsion systems with a knowledge-based approach. Experiments and modelThe distribution of surfactants between the water/oil interfaces was investigated using single droplet diffusion experiments and simulation of equilibrium surfactant density profiles. The stability of the interfaces against coalescence was characterized by dye transport in a leach cell and coalescence time of single droplets in a model experiment. The conformation of the surfactants at an interface was then examined via surface rheology, sum frequency generation spectroscopy, and dissipative particle dynamics simulation. FindingsTwo selected hydrophilic surfactants combined with a lipophilic surfactant induce very different properties at water/oil interfaces and different dye release behaviour from their corresponding double emulsions. Competitive adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate and lipophilic surfactant results in the improvement of encapsulation efficiency, elasticity of the interface, and resistance against coalescence due to the intercalation of surfactant alkyl chains into the oil chains.

Phycocyanin-rich water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion with nanosized particles: Improved color stability against light exposure

Acidic environments and light exposure have been known to have detrimental effects on phycocyanin (PC), a spirulina-derived chromoprotein popular among food and pharmaceutical manufacturers. We developed a water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion system for mitigating the discoloration and precipitation issues of PC at pH 3.0 and under light exposure. The nanostructured (∼170 nm) W1/O/W2 emulsion droplets were obtained under the combined efficacy of multiple stabilizing components. Glycerol (40 wt%) in the internal aqueous phase acted as both the protein stabilizer and thickener. Fine droplet size, optical clearness, and thermodynamic stability were obtained using polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR, 4 wt%) as the lipophilic emulsifier and Tween 20 (8 wt%) as the hydrophilic emulsifier. The mechanical robustness of droplets withstood multiple emulsification steps by high pressure homogenization, an efficient, high energy technology amenable to industrial-scale productions. Lipid oxidation was suppressed by using medium-chain triglyceride coconut oil and multiple antioxidants, which offered photoprotection on the encapsulated PC against oxidative damage induced by UV irradiation. The optimized PC-rich W1/O/W2 emulsion exhibited high PC loading capacity and long-term physical stability without leakage, phase separation, and retained the vivid blue color with only slight turbidity. Overall, our PC-rich W1/O/W2 double emulsion system demonstrated good thermodynamical, mechanical, and photooxidative stabilities against the acidic and light storage conditions that are commonly used during food processing, making PC a widely applicable natural colorant and protein source in foods.

PLGA-PVA-PEG Single Emulsion Method as a Candidate for Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA) Encapsulation: Laboratory Scaling Up and Stability Evaluation.

One of the most widely used molecules used for photodynamic therapy (PDT) is 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a precursor in the synthesis of tetrapyrroles such as chlorophyll and heme. The 5-ALA skin permeation is considerably reduced due to its hydrophilic characteristics, decreasing its local bioavailability and therapeutic effect. For this reason, five different systems containing polymeric particles of poly [D, L–lactic–co–glycolic acid (PLGA)] were developed to encapsulate 5-ALA based on single and double emulsions methodology. All systems were standardized (according to the volume of reagents and mass of pharmaceutical ingredients) and compared in terms of laboratory scaling up, particle formation and stability over time. UV-VIS spectroscopy revealed that particle absorption/adsorption of 5-ALA was dependent on the method of synthesis. Different size distribution was observed by DLS and NTA techniques, revealing that 5-ALA increased the particle size. The contact angle evaluation showed that the system hydrophobicity was dependent on the surfactant and the 5-ALA contribution. The FTIR results indicated that the type of emulsion influenced the particle formation, as well as allowing PEG functionalization and interaction with 5-ALA. According to the 1H-NMR results, the 5-ALA reduced the T1 values of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PLGA in the double emulsion systems due to the decrease in molecular packing in the hydrophobic region. The results indicated that the system formed by single emulsion containing the combination PVA–PEG presented greater stability with less influence from 5-ALA. This system is a promising candidate to successfully encapsulate 5-ALA and achieve good performance and specificity for in vitro skin cancer treatment.

Ultrasonic Dispersion Influence on the Rheological Properties of Double Emulsion Food Systems with a High Content of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

The author rheological parameters research of dual food emulsion systems with different oil base composition obtained by ultrasonic dispersion aims at determining the use prospects and studying the structural features. A man obtained flow curves for the double food emulsion systems under research by the rotational rheometry at temperatures of 20 °C and 30 °C. The emulsion systems demonstrated a non-Newtonian behavior, manifested as a change in viscosity with a shear flow velocity change. A comparative viscosity analysis of emulsion systems samples subjected to the ultrasonic dispersion for 10, 15 and 20 minutes showed that the dispersion duration did not have the significant effect on their rheological parameters. The flow curve of a sample with linseed and sunflower oils as a basis differs from the flow curves of samples with ginger–sunflower and mustard–sunflower oils combinations, which are characterized by a transition to the Newtonian flow regime at higher shear velocities. At the same time, the double emulsion systems viscosity does not depend on the blend composition. The temperature has no significant influence on the rheological parameters of most of the studied emulsion systems. The viscosity index was higher in a sample with linseed and sunflower oils as a base at a temperature of 20 °C at the same low values of shear velocities than at a temperature of 30 °C. The decrease in the dispersed structure strength along with an increase in temperature explains that.

Empirical correlation of stable double emulsion system of organic compound extraction in emulsion liquid membrane process

The stability of emulsion is crucial in the emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) process. It has been discovered that the size of emulsion droplets and globules is related to ELM stability and can be predicted using a correlation model. In this study, the best correlation for the emulsion size prediction was determined for ELM extraction of succinic acid. Several parameters affecting the emulsion sizes and stability including emulsification speed, emulsification time, agitation speed, and treat ratio were evaluated. A new correlation for the succinic acid system was obtained that fit experimental data between 0.1-0.5 dispersed phased holdup fraction. From the study, the Weber number depended on the emulsification speed, emulsification time, and agitation speed, which consequently affected the predicted emulsion size. This study demonstrates that mathematical correlations can be used to predict the size of emulsion droplets and globules in the ELM process of organic compound extraction.

Co-delivery of EGCG and lycopene via a pickering double emulsion induced synergistic hypolipidemic effect.

The concept of "synergy" and its applications has rapidly increased in the food industry as a practical strategy to preserve and improve health-promoting effects of the functional ingredients. In this study, hydrophilic epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and lipophilic lycopene (LYC) were loaded separately (EGCG loaded PDE (PE), and LYC loaded PDE (PL), and also co-delivered (PEL) within a pickering double emulsion (PDE) system to induce synergistic hypolipidemic effect. Their effects on the serum lipid profile, weight of tissue fats, liver lipid droplet accumulation, and liver steatosis in a high-fat diet rat model were investigated. Moreover, different pathways (HMG-CoR, LDL-R, PPARγ and AMPK) involved in triggering hypolipidemic effects were verified at both mRNA and protein levels. The study's findings showed that inclusion of EGCG improved while LYC negatively affected the physical stability of PDE. The contents of total cholesterol and triacylglyceroles in serum and liver as well as the weight of tissue fats were substantially reduced in all groups (PE/PL/PEL). The alteration in absorption site of EGCG and enhanced bioaccessibility of LYC when delivered by PDE strengthened the hypolipidemic properties of PE and PL, mainly through triggering the pathways of HMG-CoR, LDL-R and PPARγ. Furthermore, the synergistic hypolipidemic effect of PEL was achieved mainly through the activation of the AMPK pathway.