Improvement of the Oxidative Stability of Spray-Dried Microencapsulated Chia Seed Oil Using Maillard Reaction Products (MRPs)

The present work deals with the study of the physicochemical properties of microencapsulated chia seed oil by spray-dried method, with different oil content, using Maillard reaction products (MRPs) generated from different heat treatments (0, 60, or 100 degrees C, 30 min) of sodium caseinate-lactose mixture as wall material. With an absorbance at 465 nm, the color and FTIR parameters are used to follow the Maillard reaction extent. The DPPH assay is applied to analyze the antioxidant activity. The microcapsules present low moisture contents (0.02-3.00% d.b.) and water activity (0.243-0.470), and high values of microencapsulation efficiency (approximate to 99%). The color parameters of the powders show that the microcapsules present a light color with a slight tendency toward yellow. The micrographs of powders show individual spherical microcapsules with smooth surfaces in general. The powders present a high dispersibility. The lipid oxidation analyses show that the microencapsulation process is able to protect chia oil against lipid oxidation in all treatments, with the microcapsules with the highest heat treatment being the most effective in this sense. This fact is related to the highest content of the MRPs, which further protect microencapsulated chia oil. Practical Applications: This research provides information about an alternative treatment to microencapsulate chia oil, which is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, to deliver these compounds for food applications. These treatments allow microencapsulating of chia seed oil with high microencapsulation efficiency and good oxidative stability to apply them in the production of omega-3 fortified foods. The results are significant both for the scientific community and the food industry. The relevance of this study is the application of MRPs to confer spray-dried microencapsulated chia seed oil higher protection against lipid oxidation. Besides, the obtained results contribute to the development of novel functional products for the food industry and also to satisfy a market with tendencies toward healthy eating. Microencapsulation process as protection system of chia oil against lipid oxidation are studied.