Improved stability and controlled release of ω3/ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids by spring dextrin encapsulation

Food grade biopolymers, such as dextrin, have been suggested as a technological solution for the controlled delivery of health promoting substances. The main focus of this work is to improve the stability of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and controlled release by encapsulating with helical spring dextrin (SD). The encapsulation was formed between SD with a DP ¯ of 62 and α-linolenic acid (ALA) or linoleic acid (LA) at 60 °C and characterized by WXRD, DSC, TGA and SEM. Under conditions which simulated the human environment of the gastrointestinal system, 21.7% and 18.5% of SD–ALA and SD–LA were released, respectively. A molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the space of helix cavity for ALA–SD complex was larger than that for LA–SD complex. This research work supports the idea that these complexes not only can improve the stability of ALA and LA, but also can achieve the targeted delivery of functional lipids or other bioactive components to the small intestine.