Abstract:

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 mol. phytosterols, cholesterol-lowering agents, in food products is of great interest to the food industry. The use is demonstrated 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 dissoln. capacity of the oil [R-(+)-limonene] for the same compds. The solubilization capacity of phytosterols and cholesterol along a diln. line in a pseudo-ternary phase diagram [wt. ratio of R-(+)-limonene/ethanol/Tween 60 const. at 1p1:3] was correlated to the microstructure transitions along the diln. 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 aq. systems (O/W microemulsion). [on SciFinder(R)]