Abstract Flaxseed oil is a major plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly α-linolenic acid, and is widely recognised for its nutritional and health benefits. However, this high degree of unsaturation also makes flaxseed oil highly susceptible to oxidative degradation during processing, storage, and gastrointestinal digestion, limiting its incorporation into food systems. This review discusses recent advances in the encapsulation of flaxseed oil, with emphasis on mono-encapsulation and co-encapsulation strategies developed to improve oxidative stability and functionality. Co-encapsulation refers to the simultaneous incorporation of flaxseed oil with additional bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants, polyphenol-rich extracts, vitamins, or probiotics, within a single delivery system, either as distinct co-localised core domains or as co-dispersed components within a continuous matrix without discrete core-shell separation, enabling synergistic protective effects. An evaluation of encapsulation techniques, including spray drying, freeze drying, electrospinning, complex coacervation, and ionic gelation, is presented, highlighting how wall material selection, microstructural organisation, and interfacial characteristics govern effective oxidative protection in encapsulated systems. In mono-encapsulation systems, stabilisation is mainly achieved through physical entrapment, restricted oxygen diffusion, and reduced oil mobility, whereas co-encapsulation systems provide superior protection through synergistic interactions between flaxseed oil, co-loaded bioactives, and the encapsulating matrix, through radical scavenging, metal chelation, and enhanced barrier integrity. Overall, oxidative protection depends not solely on the encapsulation technique but also on the combined influence of matrix chemistry, interfacial architecture, and bioactive functionality.
Sandupama et al. (Thu,) studied this question.