Characterization of freeze-dried microencapsulation tuna fish oil with arrowroot starch and maltodextrin

Abstract

Abstract Arrowroot starch (AS), extracted from a tropical rhizome (Maranta arundinacea), was investigated and compared to maltodextrin (MD) in whey protein (WP) combinations for its potential as a novel wall material to microencapsulate and limit oxidative rancidity of tuna fish oil. Tuna fish oil was mixed into six emulsions composed of 5:1, MD:WP (P1); 6.5:1, MD:WP (P2); 5:1, AS:WP (P3); 6.5:1, AS:WP (P4); 3.344:1.668:1, MD:AS:WP (P5); and 3.25:3.25:1, MD:AS:WP (P6) to produce microcapsules by freeze drying. The microcapsules were studied for encapsulation efficiency (EE), moisture content, water activity, peroxide value (PV), acid value (AV), microstructure, and the degree of primary oxidation was evaluated every 15 days for 90 days at ±25\xa0°C. The fish oil microcapsules demonstrated high EE (80.5–86.4%), low moisture content (0.24–3.47%), and low water activity (0.05–0.23). The microcapsules exhibited PV (4.80–9.20 mEq/kg oil) and AV (1.46–2.24 %FFA) values that remained below industry-set maximum limits of PV (10\xa0mEq O2/kg oil) and AV (