Double emulsions of the W/O/W type are compartmented materials suitable for encapsulation and sustained release of hydrophilic compounds. Initially, the inner aqueous droplets contain an encapsulated compound (EC), and the external phase comprises an osmotic regulator (OR). Over time, water and the solutes dissolved in it tend to be transferred from one aqueous compartment to the other across the oil phase. Water transfer being by far the fastest process, osmotic equilibration of two compartments is permanently ensured. Since the transport of the EC and OR generally occurs at dissimilar rates, the osmotic regulation process provokes a continuous flux of water that modifies the inner and outer volumes. We fabricated W/O/W emulsions stabilized by a couple of amphiphilic polymers, and we measured the inward and outward diffusion kinetics of the solutes. The phenomenology was explored by varying the chemical nature of the OR while keeping the same EC or vice versa. Microscope observations revealed different evolution scenarios, depending on the relative rates of transfer of the EC and OR. Structural evolution was mainly determined by the permeation ratio between the EC and the OR, irrespective of their chemical nature. In particular, a regime leading to droplet emptying was identified. In all cases, evolution was due to diffusion/permeation phenomena and coalescence was marginal. Results were discussed within the frame of a simple mean-field model taking into account the diffusive transfer of the solutes.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Because of bad change in eating habits, our food becomes unbalanced and not diversified. For that purpose, a new concept appeared, is that of "functional food" whose purpose is to fortify food products by adding new ingredients or more of existing ingredients (e.g., trace elements, vitamins, …), in order to prevent the onset of certain diseases related to deficiency of these elements. These foods are similar in appearance to conventional foods and are meant to be consumed as part of a normal diet. They can have promising potential, as consumers can buy healthy enriched products without changing their eating habits (Roberfroid, 2002), thus preventing or treating most of diseases, especially in young children and improving the health of the community globally (Gahruie et al., 2015). Yogurt is one of the most popular fermented dairy products in the world. It is well accepted by consumer because of its very health benefits other than its basic nutrition. Yogurt has been fortified with vitamins (e.g., A), iron (Kim et al., 2003), ascorbic acid, calcium, fiber, soy proteins, Probiotics and prebiotics (Pimentel-González et al., 2009), vegetables, and fruits such as coconut (Ndife et al., 2014), seed oil containing unsaturated fatty acids like omega 3, fish protein hydrolysate and fish oil (Ghorbanzade et al., 2017; Jamshidi et al., 2019), phytosterols (Gahruie et al., 2015) and polyphenols (Petrotos et al., 2012). The enrichment of dairy products has been previously achieved by adding specific compounds to the cow diet (e.g., fish oil, sunflower oil) (Jones et al., 2005), or incorporating to the dairy product loaded soft systems based on liposomes (Ghorbanzade et al., 2017), biopolymer nanoparticles (Divya & Nampoothiri, 2015) or food grade