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Development and Characterization of Virgin Coconut Oil Nanoemulsions Stabilized with Soy Lecithin and Tween 20

Anh V.N. Doan, Quynh T.N. Tran, Ha V.H. Nguyen, Duy N. Nguyen

Abstract


Virgin coconut oil has attracted considerable attention due to its health-promoting properties and its potential applications in biodegradable coatings, natural preservatives, and nutraceutical delivery systems, particularly in nanoemulsion form. This study investigated the droplet size distribution as well as the physicochemical and functional properties of virgin coconut oil nanoemulsions produced by ultrasonication. Nanoemulsions stabilized with Tween 20 exhibited mean droplet sizes ranging from 327.6 ± 0.9 to 367.5 ± 0.4 nm, whereas those stabilized with soy lecithin ranged from 292.4 ± 1.6 to 576.7 ± 3.3 nm. All formulations showed polydispersity index values below 0.3, indicating relatively uniform droplet size distributions. Peroxide and acid values increased during storage, suggesting progressive lipid oxidation and hydrolysis. Fatty acid analysis using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) revealed that lauric acid is the predominant component (7.81 g/100 g fat) in the nanoemulsion system. Stability tests conducted at room temperature demonstrated that soy lecithin provided superior physical stability across most formulation ratios. These findings provide insights into the selection of natural emulsifiers for improving the stability of virgin coconut oil-based nanoemulsions intended for functional food and nutraceutical applications.

Keywords




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DOI: 10.14416/j.asep.2026.07.009

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