Encapsulation of Antarctic krill oil in yeast cell microcarriers: Evaluation of oxidative stability and in vitro release

•Use of yeast cells (YCs) as the microcarriers of Antarctic krill oil (KO) is a feasible approach.•The phospholipids of KO were effectively encapsulated into KO-loaded YCs (KYCs).•KYCs comprise a thermostable system that can protect KO in the accelerated oxidation process.•KYCs enable prolonged delivery of KO and thus enhance its bioavailability. Antarctic krill oil (KO) was encapsulated into yeast cells (YCs), and the physicochemical, morphological, and conformational characterizations of KO-loaded YCs (KYCs) were investigated. Moreover, the oxidation stability and in vitro release behavior of KYCs were evaluated. Results showed that KYCs provided significantly higher oxidative stability than native KO. The fatty acid profile remained obviously unchanged after encapsulation. Most interestingly, the phospholipid proportion increased from 49.76% ± 1.42% to 59.92% ± 1.39% after encapsulation. Furthermore, there was a slow and prolonged release of KYCs, along with higher bioaccessibility of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid than the KO-in-water emulsion (69.62% ± 7.67% and 66.67% ± 4.55% vs 47.44% ± 4.4% and 39.74% ± 3.89%). KO encapsulation in YCs can be considered as an efficient approach for extending the oxidative and in vitro stability of this nutritious oil and facilitating its application in food products.