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Received: 12 March 2010 / Accepted: 30 April 2010 / Published online: 22 May 2010
© AOCS 2010
Abstract Benefits of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can be enhanced by raising their bioavailability through microencapsulation. Pollen can be emptied to form hollow shells, known as exines, and then used to encapsulate material, such as oils in a dry powder form. Six healthy volunteers ingested 4.6 g of fish oil containing 20% EPA in the form of ethyl ester first alone and then as 1:1 microencapsulated powder of exines and fish oil. Serum bioavailability of EPA was measured by area under curve (AUC0-24). The mean AUC0-24 of EPA from ethyl ester with exine (M = 19.7, SD = 4.3) was significantly higher than ethyl ester without exines (M = 2, SD = 1.4, p<0.01).The bioavailability of EPA is enhanced by encapsulation by pollen exines.
Keywords Exines * Microencapsulation * Eicosapentaenoic acid * Bioavailability
Abbreviations
Ar Argon laser
AUC^sub (0-24)^ Area under the curve between time 0-24 h
BHT Butylated hydroxytoluene
C/M Chloroform methanol
EPA Eicosapentaeoic acid
FAME Fatty acid methyl esters
GLC Gas liquid chromatography
HeNe Helium neon
LCPUFA Long chain poly unsaturated fatty acids
M Mean
SD Standard Deviation
SEM Scanning electron microscopy
SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
Introduction
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid, the main long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), can only be obtained from a fish and shellfish rich diet. Recent trials have shown that EPA in the form of ethyl ester added to statins in hypercholesterolaemic Japanese resulted in 19% relative risk reduction in major cardiovascular events [1]. Instead of being taken to prevent nutritional deficiency they are now being taken to prevent diseases with an inflammatory pathology, including cardiovascular diseases [2]. One strategy to raise plasma concentration of LCPUFA is to optimise their absorption and bioavailability.
Microencapsulation has been used to mask unpleasant taste in food sciences as well as to protect against light and airborne oxidation [3, 4]. Pollen and plant spores, from mosses and ferns have an outer layer skeleton known as the exine that is composed of sporopollenin [5, 6]. Exine microencapsulation technology has been shown to provide excellent taste masking for fish oils [7], they have been investigated for use as a contrast agent...