Microencapsulation of flaxseed oil and avocado oil mixture using rice and pea proteins and modified starch as adjuvants: particle characterization and oxidative stability

• Grant number: 21/13134-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2022
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Matheus Boeira Braga
• Grantee: Matheus Boeira Braga
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carlos Alexandre Moreira da Silva

Abstract

The changes in dietary habits and lifestyle have resulted in a growing demand for natural, organic, lactose-free, and gluten-free foods and beverages, reflecting an increased health concern. In this context, the flaxseed oil is characterized as a polyunsaturated oil, rich in alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid of the omega-3 group, and linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid of the omega-6 group. However, flaxseed oil is highly susceptible to oxidative degradation due to its composition. Mixing vegetable oils with different compositions is one of the techniques used to increase the oxidative stability of oils and can be considered an economical way to develop products with specific nutritional properties. Avocado oil has potential for the development of mixtures with flaxseed oil, as it shows a high concentration of oleic acid, an essential fatty acid of the omega-9 group, in addition to tocopherol antioxidant compounds. Interest in rice and pea proteins has increased due to the high concentration of essential amino acids and the absence of gluten and dairy. The blend of pea and rice proteins results in a combination containing the nine essential amino acids that the human body is not capable of synthesizing, but which are necessary for its functioning. Therefore, it is proposed to associate the study on the mixture of flaxseed and avocado oils with the study of microencapsulation of these oils by freeze-drying, using blends of rice and pea proteins, and modified starch. We expect to obtain important answers about the design of the development of the food product (a hypoallergenic particulate solid product, rich in omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids and essential amino acids), in the quest to maximize its nutritional value and its oxidative stability. (AU)