Optimization of microcapsules shell structure to preserve labile compounds: A comparison between microfluidics and conventional homogenization method

Abstract

A new technique is presented to optimize the formulation of microcapsules loaded with labile compounds. Fish oil was loaded into the microcapsule core and protected with a shell composed of whey protein microgel/beet pectin complexes. The microcapsules were formed using two different methods: microfluidics and homogenization. The microcapsules were further classified into three sub-groups. The first group was the microcapsules cross-linked with laccase (MCL), the second group was the microcapsules cross-linked with divalent cationic CaCl₂ salt (MCS), and the third group consisted of control microcapsules (CM), with no cross-linking. The microfluidics method enabled tracking of the effect of the shell cross-linking ability of laccase, or CaCl₂, on microcapsules. It was demonstrated that MCL obtained by microfluidics are more physicochemically stable than those produced via a homogenizer. The effect of cross-linking agents on the microcapsules were more significant when the microcapsules were produced by microfluidics.

Keywords: Cross-linking agent; Fish oil; Microcapsule; Microfluidics; Whey protein microgel.