Formulation of phytosterols in emulsions for increased dose response in functional foods

Abstract: Phytosterols can significantly reduce cholesterol levels in humans. However, their dose response is strongly formulation dependent. Due to their insolubility in water and poor solubility in oil and their surface activity, the formulation in functional foods of unesterified non-crystalline phytosterols with an expected dose response even higher than the esterified phytosterols commonly applied today proved problematic. Supersaturating phytosterols with a crystallization inhibitor in the oil phase of an o/w emulsion in a special process combines high phytosterol concentrations with the potential of strongly increased dose response. In two formulations, no crystallization was observable in stability investigations over a period of 60 days. Industrial relevance: Compared to actual formulations as phytosterol fatty acid esters in fat-based foods, the method describe here for formulating free, solved and water-dispersible phytosterols allows for their incorporation into almost all kinds of foods as well as beverages. Additionally, the expected to dose–response to phytosterol formulated according to this method is expected to exceed by far that of phytosterol fatty acid esters. Combined with the comparably high concentration in the new, water-dispersible formulations, the method yields the opportunity of producing a wide variety of functional foods with phytosterols highly effective in lowering the risk for cardiovascular diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]