Lipid Based Interfacial Design of Food Emulsion for Controlling the Rate of GI-track

Digestion

Noorazwani Zainol

Institute Bioproduct Development (IBD), N22, Skudai, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

azwani@ibd.utm.my

Abstract

Delays in lipid digestion may impart a prolonged feeling of satiety, thus rendering this
research highly relevant to the current world-wide efforts to combat obesity. Lipid digestion
is an interfacial reaction, but it is possible to control the digestibility of lipid droplets by
modifying the interfacial properties and structure. An in-vitro assessment of purified
digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) in presence of sunflower lecithin, at the interface of oil-in-
water (O/W) emulsions, has been shown to delay lipid digestion by preventing the
adsorption of lipase onto the droplets surfaces. The suggested mechanism would hinder any
bile salt attack, due to its galactose moieties as headgroup. However, as purified DGDG is
commercially not available and expensive to use in food products, this study aimed to
evaluate the efficacy of crude plant lipid extracts that are rich in DGDG to determine
whether they can delay lipolysis when submitted to the in-vitro digestion model.

Spinach was chosen partly because previous research had utilised purified DGDG, obtained
from spinach. Pumpkin seed was another plant material used to investigate its inhibition
properties as, in addition to containing DGDG, it is also reported to contain significant
amounts of trigalactosyldiacylglycerol (TGDG) which may have an effect on the rate of
lipolysis.

In the first attempt, the lipolysis of the O/W stabilised emulsions were followed using an in-
vitro digestion emulsion model with two measurements in the stomach phase for two hours
and a further two measurements in the duodenal phase for another two hours in the same
experiments. Prior to obtained processed O/W emulsion, four different vesicle solutions
were prepared which later served as the continuous phase. The vesicles solution prepared
were: a sunflower lecithin (LEC), mixture of sunflower lecithin and DGDG (LECDG), lipid
extract from spinach (SPLIP) and mixed lipid extract from pumpkin seed (PULIP).The
emulsion breakdown was followed using measurements of droplet size, zeta potential and
amounts of free fatty acids released using the pH stat method.

In the second attempt, an in-vitro interfacial model was used to investigate the changes at
the interface during the duodenal lipolysis in order to complement the results obtained in
the bulk model. This mechanism was investigated through interfacial tension evolution.
The results show that SPLIP and PULIP are both efficient in delaying lipolysis when compared
to LECDG; thus cruder form of DGDG in SPLIP and PULIP is more resistant against digestion
enzymes. The result of lipid digestibility, determined by the pH stat measurement, also
shows differences in the rate of lipid digestibility. This indicates that the LEC stabilised
emulsion showed the highest rate of digestibility when compared against SPLIP and PULIP,
which was lower, respectively. Both experiments shows decreasing digestion trend as
follows: LEC>LECDG>SPLIP>PULIP. Microscopy results indicate that grow droplets observed
from gastric to duodenum; however smaller droplets observed with SPLIP compare to
PULIP. Zeta potential results indicated there is an increased in zeta potential value after
introduce in the duodenal phases. Results observed in droplet sizes distribution showed LEC
system had broader peaks indicative the system undergoes extensive digestion while
LECDG, SPLIP and PULIP showed narrower peaks. In the interfacial model, the decreasing
values in interfacial tension following duodenal media is observed as follows;
LEC>LECDG>PULIP>SPLIP. The occurrence of DGDG and/or TGDG at the O/W interface of the
SPLIP and PULIP stabilised emulsions are indicative of absorption of bile salt was hindered.
Dilatational elasticity values show complex tendency; more elastic properties were observed
when bile salts absorbed at the interface. In conclusion, presence of TGDG is more inhibition
than DGDG.

Besides the in-vitro model, the nutritional value of freeze-dried chloroplast was also
determined. The results obtained suggested that the freeze-dried materials extracted in this
study were rich in nutrients and could act as a vehicle for delivering functional nutrients
when added to food. Nonetheless, the digestibility of this material needs further
investigation in an in-vivo study. Finally, the results of the microbial analysis are indicative
that the obtained findings comply with standards; thus, indicating that freeze-dried material
is food safe.