Developing an innovative green approach to form high-stability powder fish oil formulation using supercritical carbon dioxide

There is a great interest in the consumerism of health and wellness-promoting products like omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, fish oil has received great attention due to its high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Regular fish oil consumption can supply enough omega-3 fatty acids to human metabolism. However, omega-3 fatty acids consist of a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids prone to oxidation and the storage, transportation, and processing of fish oil is challenging. Therefore, there is a need for transformation of fish oil into easy-to-use and stable formulation.
This study aims to form a more stable powder fish oil formulation using the SC-CO₂-assisted-particle formation process and improve the oxidative stability of fish oil-loaded particles by removing non-encapsulated fish oil using an additional green SC-CO₂ extraction process. The performance of the particle formation process and surface fish oil removal processes were evaluated by determining the oxidative stability of the particles during one month of storage. Besides, loading efficiency, particle morphology, melting behavior, and polymorphism of the particles were evaluated. In this simple and green process, a stable powder fish oil formulation was formed without generating waste or using any hazardous solvent. The accelerated oxidative stability test proved that oxidation of loaded fish oil is slower than crude fish oil regardless of processing parameters, wax type, and initial fish oil concentration. However, there was a need for removal of non-encapsulated fish oil from the surface of particle. Since the formulation of particles was 100% lipid-based, using solvents was not suitable. In that regard, an additional SC-CO₂ extraction process was developed to remove non-encapsulated oil after particle formation. Non-encapsulated surface oil from the fish oil-loaded carnauba wax particles was removed using the SC-CO₂ extraction process. Removal of non-encapsulated fish oil resulted in increased oxidative stability and flowability of the powder fish oil formulation.