Effect of Blueberry Extract From Blueberry Pomace on the Microencapsulated Fish Oil

The effect of the addition of blueberry extract (BE) obtained from blueberry pomace on lipid oxidation of pollock liver oil (PO) during microencapsulation was evaluated. An emulsion containing PO and BE (EBE) was prepared and spray dried in a pilot scale spray dryer. Thiobarbituric acids (TBARS) of EBE were lower (0.41 mmol/kg oil) than that of control without BE (ENBE) (0.47 mmol/kg oil). Also, TBARS value of 0.49 mmol/kg oil for microencapsulated PO with BE (MBE) after spray drying was lower than that of microencapsulated PO without BE (MNBE) (0.57 mmol/kg oil). MBE also had a lower TBARS value than that of MNBE after 17 days of storage at 4C and room temperature. This study indicated that BE reduced lipid oxidation of PO during emulsification. It also demonstrated that BE can be successfully used to delay the lipid oxidation during spray drying and storage of PO. Practical Applications Marine fish oils are good sources of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Blueberry (Vaccinium spp) extract obtained from blueberry pomace contains numerous bioactive compounds such as anthocyanin and soluble dietary fiber, which makes it a potential additive for functional foods. Because of its antioxidant properties, BE may reduce the oxidation of marine fish oils during microencapsulation processes.