Microencapsulation of sea buckthorn oil with β-glucan from barley as coating material.

Due to large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, polyphenols and tocopherols, sea buckthorn oil is enjoying growing popularity among consumers. To meet their expectations food producers are more and more willing to add it to products such as yogurts, juices and bread. Unfortunately due to high content of compounds sensitive to the process to which food products are subjected, the oil addition is limited. The solution may be adding oil in the form of capsules. Microencapsulation is a developing technology which depends on enclosing active material in special wall material. The process makes it possible to protect the core material against the influence of external factors such as: sun rays, oxygen or microorganisms. As the research has shown the process of oil microencapsulation does not contribute to the degradation of lipids. In turn product maintains durability and stability for longer. For example lipid oxidation after one week storage in microcapsules with 3% beta-glucan in the coating material was 5.50mEq/kg fat. The oxidation was about five times lower than during conventional storage oil in the fridge (31.78mEq/kg fat). In addition, the process makes it possible to increase the intake of soluble dietary fiber fraction thanks to the possibility of using beta-glucan as a wall material for the microcapsules prepared.