Effect of interfacial layer number on the storage stability and in vitro digestion of fish oil-loaded multilayer emulsions consisting of gelatin particle and polysaccharides

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the interfacial layer number on the storage stability and in vitro digestion of fish oil-loaded primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary multilayer emulsions stabilized by gelatin particle and polysaccharides (anionic alginate and cationic chitosan), prepared using a layer-by-layer electrostatic deposition technique. The results demonstrate that the emulsion creaming stability during the storage process and the emulsion droplet stability against the gastric phase are dependent on the interfacial layer number. But, the interfacial layer number in the multilayer emulsions has no obvious effects on the droplet stability against droplet coalescence during the storage process and against the small intestinal phases of gastrointestinal tract models. Moreover, it also has no obvious effect on the sustained free fatty acid release of multilayer emulsions. This study can advance the fundamental understanding of multilayer emulsions and promote their potential applications.