Preparation and characterization of squalene microcapsules by complex coacervation

This study was aimed to enhance the stability of squalene by microencapsulation using gelatin (GE) and gum arabic (GA) as wall materials. The effects of the pH value, the ratio of wall materials to core materials, and the emulsification speed on the encapsulation efficiency (EE) were investigated. The optimal conditions were obtained by orthogonal experiments as follows: the pH value of 3.6, the ratio of wall materials to core materials 1:1, and the emulsification speed 10,000 rpm. Under the optimal conditions, the EE was 68.2%. The microcapsules were characterized by various physicochemical techniques, and it was confirmed that the squalene was successfully microencapsulated. The microencapsulated squalene showed lower decomposition rate, higher glass transition temperature, and lower oxidation values in comparison with unencapsulated squalene. The results revealed that the thermal and oxidation stabilities of squalene were enhanced significantly by microencapsulation. Practical Applications This article presents an optimized method to encapsulate squalene by complex coacervation using gelatin and gum arabic as wall materials. The stability of squalene was enhanced significantly by microencapsulation, and it provided an effective solution to reduce the loss of squalene in storage and use. Microencapsulated squalene will have more wide application in food industry, higher economic value.