Lipid droplet size and emulsification on postprandial glycemia, insulinemia and lipidemia

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that a smaller lipid droplet size results in a greater rate of lipolysis. However, acute health impacts of emulsification and small lipid droplet size are not well understood. We aimed to investigate the effect of emulsification and lipid droplet size on postprandial lipidemia, glycemia and insulinemia. Fifteen healthy Chinese males (mean ± SD, age of 26 ± 6 years and BMI of 22.2 ± 1.2 kg m) participated on 3 separate occasions in a randomized order. Participants received an olive oil-water beverage and white bread as test meals. The three test beverages were as follows: (1) an olive oil-water mixture (non-emulsified, control), (2) fine olive oil-water emulsion (small lipid droplet size) and (3) coarse olive oil-water emulsion (large lipid droplet size). Glucose, insulin, triglyceride, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), gastric antral distention and appetite measurements were recorded for 4 hours. Glucose and insulin concentrations increased rapidly after administration of non-emulsified beverages as compared to fine and coarse emulsions with a significant difference at 30 min (95% confidence interval, P < 0.05). Fine emulsion led to a significant increase in triglyceride responses, a smaller suppression of NEFA responses and slowed gastric emptying compared to the non-emulsified beverage and coarse emulsion (iAUC, 95% confidence interval, P < 0.05). Emulsification and alteration of lipid droplet size have acute effects on glucose, insulin, triglyceride and fatty acid responses.

Effect of Nutrient and Micronutrient Intake on Chylomicron Production and Postprandial Lipemia

“…The meal with non-emulsified oil elicited the lowest iAUC of the postprandial plasma TG concentrations (although only with a trend against the coarse emulsion, p = 0.07), associated with the fastest gastric emptying, in agreement with the above-mentioned results from Vors et al [186]. Moreover, a higher iAUC of the postprandial plasma TG concentration was observed following consumption of the test meal containing the fine emulsion compared to that containing the coarse emulsion (similar surface-weighted mean diameters as in Armand et al) [192].…”

“…Armand et al fed 8 healthy individuals with either a fine (surface-weighted mean diameter = 0.7 µm) or a coarse (surface-weighted mean diameter = 10 µm) emulsion and they observed a higher gastric and duodenal lipolysis, a slower gastric emptying, confirmed in [190], and a later postprandial serum- and CM-TG peak concentrations with the fine emulsion, but no significant difference was observed in the AUC of the postprandial serum- or CM-TG concentrations [191]. Tan et al also studied the effect of emulsification and oil droplet size on postprandial TG concentrations [192]. Fifteen healthy Chinese males received a test meal containing olive oil as non-emulsified, finely emulsified (surface-weighted mean diameter = 0.7 µm) or coarsely emulsified (surface-weighted mean diameter = 10 µm).…”

Bidirectional Relationship between Gastric Emptying and Plasma Glucose Control in Normoglycemic Individuals and Diabetic Patients

“…More than the absolute lipid load, the degree of emulsification and the lipid droplet size seem to influence gastric emptying. Tan et al showed that fine emulsions of olive oil in water slowed gastric emptying more than a coarse emulsion or a nonemulsified mixture of olive oil and water [ 9 ].…”

Postprandial vascular-inflammatory and thrombotic responses to high-fat feeding are augmented by manipulating the lipid droplet size distribution

“…Previous work demonstrates that isoenergetic meals matched for nutrient composition yield divergent postprandial effects when foodstuffs differ by fat structuring [16], with in vitro studies showing that the size and interface of lipid droplets play an important role in determining the magnitude of postprandial lipaemia, by influencing solubilisation and digestion [17][18]. In humans, emulsification of fat and alteration of the lipid droplet size has been shown to have acute effects on metabolic responses, notably, lipaemia, glycaemia, and insulinemia [19]. However, it is not known how the size distribution of lipid droplets affects parameters of vascularinflammation thrombosis.…”