Fucoidan from marine brown algae has been known to exert
several
health benefits, primarily antioxidant and anticancer properties.
The primary goal of this research was to encapsulate fucoidan in stable
water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) emulsions using
an ultrasound technique. We optimized primary emulsion and double
emulsion formulations using the response surface methodology (RSM).
The formulation for primary emulsion and double emulsion is based
on lecithin as the lipophilic surfactant concentration (0–5%),
sonication time (20, 25, and 30 min), and hydrophilic surfactant Tween
80 (0–2.5%), respectively. Both emulsions are further characterized
based on variables such as drop size, antioxidant activity, gravitational
stability, peroxide value, and encapsulation efficiency. Based on
RSM, the double emulsion with optimum conditions (sonication time,
25 min; internal emulsifier lecithin, 2.6%, sonication amplitude,
71%; and external emulsifier Tween 80, 1.2%) showed a small drop size
(726 nm), antioxidant activity (91.33%), a stability of 85.33%, and
an encapsulation efficiency of 90.36. Further optimized and stable
double emulsions were assayed during 45 days of storage at a temperature
of 37 °C. The results showed a slight change with minimal percentage
loss of encapsulation efficiency from 90.36 to 86.78%.