Huixin Chang, Yina Han, Yuxin Lv, Ying Liu, Shuangyi Zhang
These findings demonstrate that EC-based particles, particularly those prepared with higher-viscosity EC grades, constitute a promising delivery platform for stabilizing lipid-soluble antioxidants during high-temperature food processing. The approach effectively enhances the thermal oxidative stability of corn oil and offers potential for broader applications in functional food systems. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.
BACKGROUND: The oxidative stability of edible oils during high-temperature processing remains a critical challenge in the food industry. l-Ascorbyl palmitate (l-AP), a lipid-soluble antioxidant, is widely used but suffers from thermal degradation. In this study, l-AP-loaded ethyl cellulose (EC) particles were fabricated using an anti-solvent precipitation method to enhance the thermal oxidative stability of corn oil. Three EC grades with different viscosities (EC8-10, EC40-100, and EC180-220) were evaluated as wall materials to investigate their effects on encapsulation performance and protective efficiency.
RESULTS: The encapsulation efficiencies increased with EC viscosity, reaching 93.59%, 93.76%, and 97.54% for EC8-10, EC40-100, and EC180-220, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed successful encapsulation and uniform distribution of l-AP within the encapsulated particles. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed hydrogen bond interactions between EC and l-AP, indicating good compatibility. X-ray diffraction showed that the encapsulated systems were amorphous, suggesting the loss of crystallinity of l-AP upon encapsulation. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that EC significantly improved the thermal stability of l-AP. When incorporated into corn oil at 200 mg kg-1 oil and heated at 180 °C for 30 h, EC180-220 nanoparticles showed the highest protective efficiency among the tested systems. Compared with free l-AP, EC180-220 nanoparticles reduced total polar compounds from 26.08% to 15.42%, decreased carbonyl value by 29.7%, and increased the oxidation stability index from 3.05 to 4.23 h.
CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that EC-based particles, particularly those prepared with higher-viscosity EC grades, constitute a promising delivery platform for stabilizing lipid-soluble antioxidants during high-temperature food processing. The approach effectively enhances the thermal oxidative stability of corn oil and offers potential for broader applications in functional food systems. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.