The effect of α-tocopherol incorporated into different carriers on the oxidative stability of oil in water (O/W) emulsions

The effect of the antioxidant activity of alpha-tocopherol incorporated into different carriers on the oxidative stability of oil in water emulsion was investigated. The antioxidant activity of free and encapsulated alpha-tocopherol was measured in a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl reaction. Apart from alpha-tocopherol micelles, the samples showed similar antioxidant activity. The number of primary oxidation products in the emulsion with tocopherol liposomes and niosomes was lower than in the emulsion with micelles. During storage, the lipid peroxides gradually increased, whereas in emulsion with no alpha-tocopherol carriers added they remained constant. The content of the conjugated dienes first increased, and after 14 days at the end of testing time it remained stable in both types of emulsions. Our results might suggest that alpha-tocopherol when encapsulated into carriers exhibits lower antioxidant activity. The results obtained could be due to the better solubility of alpha-tocopherol in lipid droplets and thus the lower availability for the interfacial region, which is thought to be the place of the most pronounced lipid oxidation.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effect of incorporating alpha-tocopherol into different carriers on the oxidative stability of oil in water emulsion. Results showed that alpha-tocopherol in liposomes and niosomes contributed to lower oxidation products compared to micelles. Additionally, the lipid peroxides remained stable in emulsions without alpha-tocopherol carriers.