Patent-based review on industrial approaches for the microencapsulation of oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids

The principal industrial techniques for microencapsulation of oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids are spray-drying, fluidized bed coating and extrusion as well as polymer gelation and coacervation with subsequent cross-linking. In order to minimize non-encapsulated core material and oxygen diffusivity multiple interfacial structures and multiple shell structures are built up combining these techniques. The resulting microcapsule structure can affect the core material release, but this should not necessarily be regarded as a constraint, since it offers the possibility of a target-oriented delivery of the core material in vivo.