Prosopis alba exudate gum as excipient for improving fish oil stability in alginate–chitosan beads

•Prosopis alba exudate gum improved fish oil stability in alginate–chitosan beads.•The gum provided higher oil retention during the drying step and subsequent storage.•Alginate–chitosan interactions and the effect of gum were evidenced by FT-IR.•Gum benefits were attributed to a physical barrier effect.•The novel gum is a suitable wall material component for functional oils encapsulation. The aim of the present work was to employ an exudate gum obtained from a South American wild tree (Prosopis alba), as wall material component to enhance the oxidative stability of fish oil encapsulated in alginate–chitosan beads. For this purpose, beads were vacuum-dried and stored under controlled conditions. Oxidation products, fatty acid profiles and lipid health indices were measured during storage. Alginate–chitosan interactions and the effect of gum were manifested in the FT-IR spectra. The inclusion of the gum in the gelation media allowed decreasing the oxidative damage during storage in comparison to the free oil and alginate–chitosan beads. The gum also improved wall material properties, providing higher oil retention during the drying step and subsequent storage. Fatty acids quality and lipid health indices were widely preserved in beads containing the gum. Present results showed a positive influence of the gum on oil encapsulation and stability, being the main mechanism attributed to a physical barrier effect.