Effect of microencapsulation on physical properties of powder developed from blended oils rich in PUFA.

Microencapsulation of oil samples such as
flaxseed oil, blended oils such as flaxseed-sesame oil and
flaxseed-rice bran oil rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty
acids was carried out through spray drying technique. During
this study, emulsions were prepared and homogenized at
1000 rpm to prepare the stable emulsion. About 8% (w/w)
of oils were encapsulated with maltodextrin as wall material
and Tween 20 as an emulsifier, yielding a polyunsaturated
fatty acid (PUFA) microencapsulated oil powder. The physical
properties of powders were calculated based on the bulk
density and tapped density observations. Apart from these,
Carr’s index (C) and Hausner’s ratio evaluated to study
the flow properties of microencapsulated powders ranged
between 30 and 39 for Carr’s index and 1.40–1.64 for Hausner
ratio, respectively. The results of moisture content stated
that oil-encapsulated powders exhibited higher shelf life due
to lower moisture content values of 2–4%. Encapsulation
efficiency of 73%, 60%, and 80% was achieved for flaxseed
oil powder, flaxseed-sesame oil powder, and flaxseed-rice
bran oil powder, respectively. Powders high in PUFA such as
omega-3 and omega-6 are beneficial for addressing variety
of health issues, that can be used most convenient way to
receive important nutrients in our period of health issues.