The thermal and oxidative stability of Atlantic salmon oil (Salmo salar L.) as well as its β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) complexation ability has been verified for the first time. The main omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, were significantly degraded, even at 50 °C. Their relative concentrations decrease from 6.1% for EPA and 4.1% for DHA to 1.7% and 1.5% after degradation at 150 °C, respectively. On the other hand, the relative concentrations of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids remained constant or slightly increased by a few percent after degradation (e.g., from 10.7% to 12.9% for palmitic acid). Co-crystallization of ASO with β-CD at a host-guest ratio of 1:1 and 3:1 from an ethanol-water mixture and kneading methods has been used for the preparation of β-CD/ASO complexes. The analysis of the complexes by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Karl Fischer titration (KFT) as well as the decrease of the "strongly-retained" water content confirm the formation of the inclusion compound. Furthermore, the DSC parameters correlate well with the KFT kinetic data for β-CD/ASO complexes.
Keywords: Atlantic salmon oil (ASO); Karl Fischer titration; differential scanning calorimetry; omega-3 fatty acid; thermogravimetry; β-cyclodextrin.