Development of Chia Oil Plant-Based Emulsions Stabilized With Natural Biopolymers

Abstract

The growing shift toward plant-based diets has intensified the search for natural, clean-label functional ingredients. In this context, oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions stabilized with plant-derived biopolymers represent a promising approach for delivering bioactive lipids such as chia oil, which is rich in ω-3 fatty acids. This study developed chia O/W emulsions stabilized with sunflower lecithin and natural hydrocolloids using microfluidization followed by ultrasonication. A 2⁴ factorial design with three central points was applied to evaluate the effects of chia oil (5%–10%) (CO), sodium alginate (1%–2%) (ALG), Brea Gum (0%–1%) (BG), and chia mucilage (0%–0.5%) (CM) on pH, ζ-potential, rheological properties, particle size, physical stability, and microscopic analysis. All emulsions exhibited pseudoplastic behavior, enhanced by the incorporation of BG and CM, resulting in significantly higher apparent viscosity and consistency index values. ζ-potential values (−75.76 to −44.24 mV) indicated strong electrostatic stability, with the shift toward less negative values being associated with the presence of BG and higher oil concentration. Systems with higher oil content and low ALG concentration were more susceptible to early destabilization. Conversely, formulations incorporating BG or CM, either individually or in combination, showed enhanced resistance to creaming and flocculation and improved droplet size distribution uniformity. The ALG + BG + CM system exhibited the highest stability, attributed to reduced droplet mobility and the formation of a cohesive network, as supported by microstructural analysis. Collectively, the incorporation of plant-based biopolymers significantly enhanced the stability of chia emulsions, supporting their potential for ω-3 delivery systems.