3. Results and discussion
3.1 Preparation and characterization of algae oil-loaded
nanoemulsion
Algae oil contenting ω-3 LC-PUFA rich in both DHA and EPA
would be a potential alternative for fish oil because of overfishing,
ocean pollution, and low adoption of regular fish consumption
by many people, as well as its use in the vegan diet.
Nevertheless, they show organoleptic constraints and instability
to food processes, storage and ingestion, which has led to
research in the field of bioactive protection and controlled
release. As we all know, β-sitosterol (Sito), as a major type of
phytosterols, is in fact able to self-assemble, and form a threedimensional
crystal network in an oil solution, as clearly seen
by light microscopy (LM) and polarized light micrograph
(PLM) images, which eventually immobilizes the oil liquid for
a structured organogel being 10 wt% sitosterol in algae oil
(Fig. 2A).