Improving the oxidative stability of krill oil-in-water emulsions

Abstract

A positively charged protein (fish gelatin) or a negatively charged protein species (heat-treated milk protein-carbohydrate mixture) was added to a primary krill oil (KO) emulsion stabilized by the phospholipids inherent in KO, with the aim of improving the oxidative stability of KO-in-water emulsions at pH 8.0 (10 % KO). The positively charged fish gelatin deposited on the primary interface of the oil droplets in the primary KO-in-water emulsion improved the oxidative stability of the KO-in-water emulsion as evidenced by the higher eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) remaining and lower propanal produced after accelerated oxidation (40 °C, 25 days). The addition of the negatively charged heat-treated milk protein-carbohydrate mixture containing Maillard reaction products (MRP) to the bulk phase of the emulsion also enhanced the oxidative stability of the KO-in-water emulsion. The addition of MRP to the aqueous phase of phospholipids stabilized emulsion droplets offered more protection to EPA and DHA of the KO emulsions compared to the formation of an additional layer at the interface of the KO emulsion droplet. This suggests that interventions based on addition of antioxidant species to the formulation were more effective for arresting oxidation than increasing the thickness of the droplet interface. The addition of proteins into KO containing emulsion formulations is a promising strategy for protecting omega-3 marine phospholipids against oxidation. © 2014 AOCS.