Small-Molecule Diffusion through Polycrystalline Triglyceride Networks Quantified Using Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) has been used to quantify Nile red diffusion through five different triglyceride crystal networks composed of pure peanut oil (PeO), pure chemically interesterified fully hydrogenated palm oil (IHPO), two blends of PeO and IHPO blended in different mass ratios (70:30 and 30:70%, w/w), and pure cocoa butter. Calculated components from FRAP experiments (effective diffusion coefficient (D(eff)) and mobile fraction (Mr)) were correlated with crystal network structural characteristics (crystalline mass fraction and permeability coefficient) and illustrated that D(eff) can be predicted using this tool. Higher-permeability coefficients found for higher fractal dimensions, lower volume fraction of solids, and larger average particle sizes were significantly correlated to higher D(eff).