Enhancing the lipase-mediated bioaccessibility of omega-3 fatty acids by microencapsulation of fish oil droplets within porous silica particles

Abstract

Solid-state fish oil formulations composed of omega-3 (ω-3)-rich lipid droplets internalised within a nanostructured porous silica matrix have been engineered for the first time to optimise the bioaccessibility of ω-3 fatty acids. Silica-fish oil hybrid (SFOH) particles were fabricated by spray drying a submicron fish oil emulsion stabilised by hydrophilic porous silica particles. The integrity of the bioactive polyunsaturated acyl chain was preserved during synthesis and mid-term storage, highlighting the ability for silica to impart oxidative stability towards PUFA. 1H NMR analysis elucidated that the nanostructured silica network acted as a substrate-enzyme immobilisation template that facilitated enhanced fish oil hydrolysis kinetics through the interfacial activation of lipolytic enzymes, resulting in a 1.4-fold improvement in bioaccessibility compared to crude fish oil. Subsequently, this novel solid-state fish oil formulation has the potential to overcome stability drawbacks associated with PUFA and optimise the degree of ω-3 absorption into the systematic bloodstream.

Keywords

• Fish oil
• PUFA
• In vitro lipolysis
• Lipid digestion
• Porous silica
• 1H NMR