Tailoring Olive Oil Microcapsules via Microfluidization of Pickering o/w Emulsions

In this work, surfactant-modified starches were prepared by reactive extrusion (REX) and used as stabilizers for olive oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. The referred starches are waxy maize starch phosphate (P-MS), octenyl succinic anhydride maize starch (OSA-MS), and octenyl succinic anhydride rice starch (OSA-RS). Pickering emulsions were emulsified by microfluidization and spray-dried to evaluate the efficiency of encapsulation and the protective effect of starch derivatives in the encapsulated olive oil. Results showed that OSA-RS presented the smallest particle size and the most electronegative zeta-potential. Among the considered starches, OSA-RS possesses the best characteristics as surfactant to improve emulsification and digestibility of oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. On the other hand, P-MS has the ideal properties to be used as wall material for spray drying to increase oil stability and reduce digestibility of microcapsules.

Automated summary

Surfactant-modified starches prepared by reactive extrusion were used as stabilizers for olive oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. Among the starches considered, octenyl succinic anhydride rice starch exhibited the best characteristics for improving emulsification and digestibility. On the other hand, waxy maize starch phosphate was identified as an ideal wall material for spray drying to enhance oil stability and reduce digestibility.