LAUSR

Abstract The objective of the present study was to load piroxicam (PX) into multi-layered oil in water emulsions stabilized by β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg)/pectin complexes. A primary emulsion was produced by homogenizing the sunflower oil contains PX in β-Lg solution (at pH = 3.5). Then, the emulsion droplets were stabilized further by coating with pectin as a secondary layer. Four different pectin types including low-methoxyl sunflower pectin (LMSP), high-methoxyl apple pectin (HMAP), high-methoxyl citrus pectin (HMCP), and low-methoxyl citrus pectin (LMCP) were applied for production of double layered emulsion droplets. The entrapping efficiency of PX (%), creaming stability, and mean droplet size (D 43 ) of emulsions were measured. Also, the release trends of PX were determined and fitted with experimental models of zero order, Higuchi, and Pepass. Our results revealed that the emulsions stabilized by β-Lg/high-methoxyl apple and citrus pectins with NaCl had a higher creaming stability and more loading capacity of PX compared to stabilized emulsions by β-Lg/pectin without NaCl. The mean droplet size (D 43 ) of double layered emulsions was increased at higher pectin fraction and were decreased by lower β-lg fraction.