The impact of oil encapsulation on its digestion and the consequences for the metabolic fate of fatty acids: the case of DHA oil
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important fatty acid whose reserves are not inexhaustible in the context of climate change. Improving dietary intake to promote its utilization by the body is becoming a major nutritional challenge, particularly for vulnerable populations. The strategy employed in the study described involved encapsulating DHA oil in the form of a Pickering emulsion before incorporating it into an omelette. Encapsulating the DHA thus improved digestibility by increasing the bioaccessibility to lipolytic enzymes. The enriched omelettes were then administered to rats for 4 weeks, and the results showed that encapsulation increased the bioavailability of DHA in red blood cells, but not in the brain. Oxylipin and endocannabinoid derivatives were subsequently quantified. In the brain specifically, encapsulation did not alter the endocannabinoid profile, while a significant increase was observed in the 14-hydroxy-DHA derivative, produced from DHA, as well as in the 8-HETE and 5,6-EET derivatives, derived from v-6 arachidonic acid. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that dietary intake of DHA oil in encapsulated form modulates the efficiency of digestion and, consequently, the metabolic fate of the nutrient under investigation, in this case DHA, thereby offering great prospects for DHA-enriched formulations.
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BibTeX
@article{pedrono2026impact,
title = {{The impact of oil encapsulation on its digestion and the consequences for the metabolic fate of fatty acids: the case of DHA oil}},
author = {Frédérique Pédrono and Didier Dupont},
journal = {OCL Oilseeds and fats crops and lipids},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1051/ocl/2026028},
url = {https://institut-agro-rennes-angers.hal.science/hal-05775459v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The impact of oil encapsulation on its digestion and the consequences for the metabolic fate of fatty acids: the case of DHA oil
AU - Frédérique Pédrono
AU - Didier Dupont
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - OCL Oilseeds and fats crops and lipids
DO - 10.1051/ocl/2026028
UR - https://institut-agro-rennes-angers.hal.science/hal-05775459v1
AB - Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important fatty acid whose reserves are not inexhaustible in the context of climate change. Improving dietary intake to promote its utilization by the body is becoming a major nutritional challenge, particularly for vulnerable populations. The strategy employed in the study described involved encapsulating DHA oil in the form of a Pickering emulsion before incorporating it into an omelette. Encapsulating the DHA thus improved digestibility by increasing the bioaccessibility to lipolytic enzymes. The enriched omelettes were then administered to rats for 4 weeks, and the results showed that encapsulation increased the bioavailability of DHA in red blood cells, but not in the brain. Oxylipin and endocannabinoid derivatives were subsequently quantified. In the brain specifically, encapsulation did not alter the endocannabinoid profile, while a significant increase was observed in the 14-hydroxy-DHA derivative, produced from DHA, as well as in the 8-HETE and 5,6-EET derivatives, derived from v-6 arachidonic acid. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that dietary intake of DHA oil in encapsulated form modulates the efficiency of digestion and, consequently, the metabolic fate of the nutrient under investigation, in this case DHA, thereby offering great prospects for DHA-enriched formulations.
SN - 2272-6977
SN - 2257-6614
ER -