Preparation of Powdered Fish Oil as a Sustained-Release Formulation

Focusing on the gelatin/transglutaminase cross-linking reaction, we aimed to develop a preparation method for powdered fish oil as a sustained-release formulation. Various combinations of gelatin (containing transglutaminase) and emulsifiers were screened to obtain a high quality powder. The newly developed powder contained high amounts of lipids (74% of dry weight; 152mg docosahexaenoic acid/g, 41mg eicosapentaenoic acid/g); nevertheless, the powder exhibited good oxidation stability. As expected, the powdered fish oil showed slow-release properties in experiments in vitro. This novel powdered fish oil would therefore be useful for nutraceutical applications.