Development of omega-3-rich Camelina sativa seed oil emulsions

Camelina sativa seed is an underutilized oil source rich in omega-3 fatty acids; however, camelina oil is not fully explored for food applications. Its high omega-3 content makes it susceptible to oxidation, which may limit food applications. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the potential of camelina seed oil to form physically and oxidatively stable emulsions as a potential delivery system for omega-3 fatty acids. Effects of homogenization conditions, namely, pressure (15MPa-30MPa), number of passes (1,3,5, and 7), and type of homogenizers (high pressure and high shear) on the structural properties and stability of camelina seed oil emulsions stabilized with whey protein isolate were studied. High homogenization pressure (30MPa) and number of passes (>3) reduced the particle size (278nm) and formed more physically and oxidatively stable emulsions compared to high shear homogenization; high shear homogenization generated bigger oil particles (similar to 2,517nm). Apparent viscosity and consistency index (k) decreased with increasing pressure, number of passes, and shear rate. Emulsions prepared with high pressure homogenization at both 15 and 30MPa with 3 and more passes did not exhibit any peroxide formation over 28days. Results indicated that camelina seed oil is a promising alternative oil source to form stable omega-3-rich emulsions for food applications.