Tripalmitin–Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Emulsion Droplet Liquid vs. Solid State Impacts in vitro Digestive Lipolysis

Abstract Questions remain as to the impact of lipid structure, including crystallinity, on digestibility and metabolic response. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of triacylglycerol crystallinity on digestibility using undercooled (liquid emulsion, LE) and crystalline (solid emulsion, SE) particles exposed to an in vitro model simulating upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) digestive conditions. By hot microfluidization, 10 wt% tripalmitin oil‐in‐water emulsions (D3,2 ~ 0.115 nm) with 0.9 wt% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were prepared. SE demonstrated complex melting behavior, was predominantly in the beta polymorph, and consisted of a heterogeneous mixture of anisometric particles. In vitro duodenal lipolysis was more extensive for the spherically shaped LE droplets vs. SE (P < 0.05), despite the fact that exposure to simulated gastric conditions (at pH 2, but not at pH 7) induced partial crystallization. Therefore, lipid droplet physical state impacted and was impacted by exposure to gastrointestinal conditions, with differences observed in fatty acid digestive release and implications for lipid absorption.