Methods of Microencapsulation of Vegetable Oil: Principles, Stability and Applications – A Minireview

Abstract

In addition to being used in food, fuel and lubricants, vegetable oils are promising in many other applications such as food additives, nutritional supplements, cosmetics and biomedicine; however, their low oxidative stability can limit their use. Microencapsulation is a well-established method for the preservation of oil against degradation, controlled release of active ingredients, protection against external factors during storage, and en-hanced durability. In this article, microencapsulation methods for vegetable oil are re-viewed, including physical methods (spray-drying and freeze-drying), physicochemical methods (complex coacervation, ionic gelation and electrostatic layer-by-layer deposi-tion), and chemical methods (interfacial/in situ polymerization). This article also provides information on the principles, parameters, advantages, disadvantages and applications of these methods.