Self-diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance, microstructure transitions, and solubilization capacity of phytosterols and cholesterol in Winsor IV food-grade microemulsions.
Microemulsions are of growing interest to the food industry as vehicles for delivering and enhancing solubilization of natural food supplements with nutritional and health benefits. The incorporation of molecular phytosterols, cholesterol-lowering agents, in food products is of great interest to the food industry. In this work is demonstrated the use of water dilutable food-grade microemulsions consisting of ethoxylated sorbitan ester (Tween 60), water, R-(+)-limonene, ethanol, and propylene glycol as vehicles for enhancing the phytosterols solubilization. Phytosterols were solubilized up to 12 times more than the dissolution capacity of the oil [R-(+)-limonene] for the same compounds. The solubilization capacity of phytosterols and cholesterol along a dilution line in a pseudo-ternary phase diagram [on this dilution line the weight ratio of R-(+)-limonene/ethanol/Tween 60 is constant at 1:1:3] was correlated to the microstructure transitions along the dilution line. Structural aspects were studied by self-diffusion NMR spectroscopy. The ability of phytosterols to compete with cholesterol for penetration into bile salt micelles in the gut may be limited to rich aqueous systems (O/W microemulsion).
Spernath
Aviram
A
Casali Institute of Applied Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
Yaghmur
Anan
A
Aserin
Abraham
A
Hoffman
Roy E
RE
Garti
Nissim
N
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry*; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D004058:Diffusion; D004655:Emulsions; D000431:Ethanol; D005524:Food Technology; D000077222:Limonene; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D012996:Solutions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D013729:Terpenes / Q000737:chemistry
D053138:Cyclohexenes; D004655:Emulsions; D010840:Phytosterols; D012996:Solutions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D013729:Terpenes; D000431:Ethanol; D002784:Cholesterol; D000077222:Limonene