Nanoencapsulation of Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Flaxseed Oil for Fortification in Dairy Products: Stability and Bioavailability Assessment
Nanoencapsulated Flaxseed Omega-3 in Dairy Products
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69750/dmls.02.012.0151Keywords:
Omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed oil, nanoencapsulation, dairy fortification, bioavailabilityAbstract
Background: Archimethylxanthine (AMX) is an essential bioactive lipid that has cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, and neurocognitive effects. Flax oil is a major vegetable source of 1,2, 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,2-naphtho-1,4-naphtho) (ALA), but its high oxidative potential and low intestinal bioavailability limit its use in nutrition. Nanoencapsulation provides a stability solution, concealment of unpleasant flavors, and absorption enhancement when enriched into popular foods, including dairy products.
Objective: This study evaluated the impact of flaxseed oil omega-3 fatty acids nanoencapsulated on stability, sensory quality, and in vitro bioavailability in dairy fortification matrices.
Methods: The experiment was carried out between February 2024 and February 2025 and involved n=80 independent samples separated into four groups: control, free flaxseed oil, nanoencapsulated flaxseed oil, and placebo nanocarriers. Flaxseed oil had been extracted by cold press and encapsulated with whey protein isolate-maltodextrin nanocomplexes through ultrasonication and spray-drying. Fortified yogurt and milk were kept at 4 o C for 30 days. Peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured to assess oxidative stability. The quality of sensory was measured using a semi-trained panel, and the bioaccessibility was determined in a standardized in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model.
Results: Nanoencapsulation yielded a radius of 152.6 nm particles and an encapsulation efficiency of 91.2%. After 30 days, the PV of free oil samples was 12.5 meq O 2/kg, as compared to 6.8 of encapsulated products. TBARS were much lower in encapsulated samples, which still scored highly acceptable in sensory compared to free oil products, which developed rancidness. Bioaccessibility of ALA improved to 62.8% of encapsulated oil as compared to 34.5% in free oil (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: Nanoencapsulation enhanced the stability, sensory acceptability, and bioavailability of flaxseed oil omega-3 fatty acids, which can be used in functional dairy fortification.
Downloads
References
Abdelhafez A, Khabir Z, Prestidge CA, Garcia-Bennett A, Joyce P. The impact of formulation design on the oral bioavailability of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Food Res Int. 2025; 208:116171. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116171
Alijani S, Hahn A, Harris WS, Schuchardt JP. Bioavailability of EPA and DHA in humans: a comprehensive review. Prog Lipid Res. 2025;97:101318. doi:10.1016/j.plipres.2024.101318
Arab-Tehrany E, Jacquot M, Gaiani C, Imran M, Desobry S, Linder M. Beneficial effects and oxidative stability of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2012;25(1):24-33. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2011.12.002
Augustin MA, Sanguansri L, Rusli JK, et al. Digestion of microencapsulated oil powders: in vitro lipolysis and in vivo absorption from a food matrix. Food Funct. 2014;5(11):2905-2912. doi:10.1039/c4fo00743c
Bakry AM, Abbas S, Ali B, et al. Microencapsulation of oils: a comprehensive review of benefits, techniques, and applications. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2016;15(1):143-182. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12179
Carneiro HCF, Tonon RV, Grosso CRF, Hubinger MD. Encapsulation efficiency and oxidative stability of flaxseed oil microencapsulated by spray drying using different wall materials. J Food Eng. 2013;115(4):443-451. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2012.03.033
Chang C, Nickerson MT. Encapsulation of omega-3-6-9 fatty acids-rich oils using protein-based emulsions with spray drying. J Food Sci Technol. 2018;55(8):2850-2861. doi:10.1007/s13197-018-3257-0
Chen B, McClements DJ, Decker EA. Design of foods with bioactive lipids for improved health. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2021;12:35-56. doi:10.1146/annurev-food-032112-135808
Chen B, McClements DJ, Decker EA, Matraszek-Gawron R. Liposome encapsulation of omega-3 fatty acids: enhanced bioavailability and stability. Food Chem. 2021;342:128358. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128358
Choudhury N, Meghwal M, Das K. Microencapsulation: an overview on concepts, methods, properties and applications in foods. Food Front. 2021;2(4):426-442. doi:10.1002/fft2.94
Comunian TA, Favaro-Trindade CS. Microencapsulation using biopolymers as an alternative to produce food enhanced with phytosterols and omega-3 fatty acids. Food Hydrocoll. 2016;61:442-457. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.06.003
Couëdelo L, Lennon S, Abrous H, et al. In vivo absorption and lymphatic bioavailability of docosahexaenoic acid from microalgal oil according to its physical and chemical form. Nutrients. 2024;16(7):1014. doi:10.3390/nu16071014
De-La-Haba F, Antequera T, Ruiz J, Solomando JC, Pajuelo A, Pérez-Palacios T. Suitability in the microencapsulation of fish oil and in vitro bioaccessibility of omega-3 fatty acids. Food Biosci. 2023;55:103027. doi:10.1016/j.fbio.2023.103027
Dyerberg J, Madsen P, Møller JM, Aardestrup I, Schmidt EB. Bioavailability of marine n-3 fatty acid formulations. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2010;83(3):137-141. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2010.06.007
Eratte D, McKnight S, Gengenbach TR, Dowling K, Barrow CJ, Adhikari BP. Co-encapsulation and characterisation of omega-3 fatty acids and probiotic bacteria in whey protein isolate–gum arabic complex coacervates. J Funct Foods. 2015;19:882-892. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2015.01.037
Homroy S, Chopra R, Singh PK, Dhiman A, Chand M, Talwar B. Role of encapsulation on the bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2024;23(1):e13272. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.13272
Lane KE, Li W, Smith C, Derbyshire E. The bioavailability of an omega-3-rich algal oil is improved by nanoemulsion technology using yogurt as a food vehicle. Int J Food Sci Technol. 2014;49(5):1264-1271. doi:10.1111/ijfs.12455
Liu Y, McClements DJ, Chen X, Liang R, Zou L, Liu W. Plant-based flaxseed oil microcapsules fabricated from coacervation of gluten at oil droplet surface. J Food Sci. 2024;89(12):8454-8470. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.17475
Saini RK, Prasad P, Sreedhar RV, Naidu KAN, Shang X, Keum YS. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: emerging sources, oxidative stability, bioavailability, and health benefits. Antioxidants. 2021;10(10):1627. doi:10.3390/antiox10101627
Ullah R, Nadeem M, Imran M, et al. Effect of microcapsules of chia oil on omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant characteristics, and oxidative stability of butter. Lipids Health Dis. 2020;19(1):10. doi:10.1186/s12944-020-1190-5
Downloads
PlumX Metrics
Published
Issue
Section
License
© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you must obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
How to Cite
