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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #275583

Title: Lipid encapsulated docosahexaenoic acid methyl ester

Author
item Holser, Ronald

Submitted to: Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/25/2011
Publication Date: 1/10/2012
Citation: Holser, R.A. 2012. Lipid encapsulated docosahexaenoic acid methyl ester. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology. 1:174-176.

Interpretive Summary: Food and animal feeds contain additives such as fish oil that provide health benefits but also may degrade during storage. A small of fat or wax may was used to from a protective shell or capsule around the additive. The capsule was effective in preventing degradation in laboratory tests that subjected the material to high temperature. The technique can be easily adapted to commercial production. The capsule can be made economically from blends of commodity oils such as palm and soybean.

Technical Abstract: Encapsulation of structurally sensitive compounds within a solid lipid matrix provides a barrier to prooxidant compounds and effectively limits the extent of oxidative degradation. Encapsulated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) methyl ester was examined as a model compound for functional foods and feeds. Solid lipid particles were prepared from triglycerides and evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry. Thermal characteristics of the lipids used to form the particle were related to structure and could be adjusted by selection of the appropriate component fatty acids. Encapsulation by solid lipid particles provides a method to inhibit oxidation and improve shelf life of products formulated with DHA.