Emulsifier type, metal chelation and pH affect oxidative stability of n-3-enriched emulsions

Recent research has shown that the oxidative stability of oil-in-water emulsions is affected by the type of surfactant used as emulsifier. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of real food emulsifiers as well as metal chelation by EDTA and pH on the oxidative stability of a 10% n-3-enriched oil-in-water emulsion. The selected food emulsifiers were Tween 80, Citrem, sodium caseinate and lecithin. Lipid oxidation was evaluated by determination of peroxide values and secondary volatile oxidation products. Moreover, the zeta potential and the droplet sizes were determined. Tween resulted in the least oxidatively stable emulsions, followed by Citrem. When iron was present, caseinate-stabilized emulsions oxidized slower than lecithin emulsions at pH 3, whereas the opposite was the case at pH 7. Oxidation generally progressed faster at pH 3 than at pH 7, irrespective of the addition of iron. EDTA generally reduced oxidation, as evaluated by volatiles formation in all emulsions, irrespective of pH and emulsifier type, except in the lecithin and caseinate emulsions where a pro-oxidative effect was observed for some volatiles. The different effects of the emulsifier types could be related to their ability to chelate iron, scavenge free radicals, interfere with interactions between the lipid hydroperoxides and iron as well as to form a physical barrier around the oil droplets.