Properties of spray-dried fish oil with different carbohydrates as carriers.

This study evaluated the application of cashew gum, Arabic gum and starch on physical and thermal properties, and fatty acid profiles of spray-dried fish oil. A completely randomized design was used to evaluate the influence of the type of material on the properties of the microparticles. Hygroscopicity and solubility was higher for particles produced using cashew gum and reached 15 g/100 g and 85 g/100 g, respectively. Analyzing the thermogravimetric curves, it was found that cashew gum bulk showed two steps of degradation. For the microcapsules containing encapsulated fish oil in cashew gum, an extra degradation step at 471 °C was found. It was possible to verify the occurrence of diffused and wide peaks in the X-ray diffractograms for all three carbohydrate polymers. The particles produced presented spherical shape with cavities. The fatty acid profile for the fish oil changed only when using modified starch as wall material, where a significant loss of omega-3 fatty acids was observed. The particles produced with cashew gum had physical properties similar to those when applying materials commonly used and this biopolymer has the potential for application as a carrier in spray drying processes .