Nanoliposomal encapsulation of chia oil for sustained delivery of α‐linolenic acid

Summary Chia oil is a popular source of ω‐3 fatty acids, typically α‐linolenic acid. This study reports the encapsulation of chia oil in nanoliposome to protect ω‐3 fatty acids and to obtain a sustained release of chia oil during digestion. Nanoliposomal encapsulation was carried out using solvent evaporation, followed by sonication. The encapsulation process was conducted using different lipid contents, with different concentrations of soy phosphatidylcholine (S), Tween 80 (T) and volumes of the aqueous phase. The maximum encapsulation efficiency was found to be 88.31%, and the average particle size was 49.25 nm; a moderate repulsion among the particles was observed. Differential scanning calorimetry study revealed enhanced thermal stability of chia oil in nanoliposomes. A negligible release (3.39%) of encapsulated chia oil was observed in the simulated gastric fluid, and a 74.72% sustained release was recorded in the simulated intestinal fluid. This formulation can be a suitable supplement of ω‐3 fatty acids for food and therapeutic applications.