Development of DHA artificial lipid droplets mimicking milk fat globules and the thermal protective effects on DHA

This study aimed to construct artificial lipid droplets model and evaluate the thermal protective effects on DHA compared with natural DHA-enriched milk (NEM). The 10 g/L buttermilk powder emulsion (BPE) homogenized twice exhibited a particle size similar to NEM, along with a ζ-potential below −20 mV. Among the emulsions tested, 10 g/L BPE exhibited a lower equilibrium surface tension (close to 5 mN/m) and the highest dilatational modulus (21.95 mN/m). And after thermal treatment, both the lipid droplets of 10 g/L BPE and NEM displayed reduced flocculation and higher dispersion stability compared to other groups. Moreover, DHA content showed no significant changes in 10 g/L BPE or NEM following heating, and the peroxide value (POV) and malondialdehyde (MDA) increased significantly less than in the control group that no BP added, accompanied by a significantly lower abundance of undesirable volatile oxidation compounds. These findings suggest that 10 g/L provide thermal protection for DHA, offering a scientific basis for developing novel DHA-enriched dairy products. • Buttermilk powder emulsion (BPE) was prepared as an artificial lipid droplet model mimicking natural DHA-enriched milk (NEM). • Buttermilk powder served as wall material and anhydrous butter and DHA algal oil served as core. • BPE showed significant thermal protection for DHA similar to NEM. • Lipidomics revealed molecular differences in GL-DHA profiles between BPE and NEM. • Provided a basis for developing novel thermally stable DHA-enriched dairy products.