Comparison of the physicochemical properties of MCT-containing fat emulsions in total nutrient admixtures

The physical stability of two types of MCT-emulsions made by different technologies – physical mixture vs. structured lipids – was studied as a function of storage time and temperature. Particle size analysis, zeta potential and dynamic surface tension measurements were carried out to evaluate the possible changes in the kinetic stability of the emulsions. Our results indicate that the physical mixture technology of MCT-emulsions resulted in impaired physicochemical stability compared to the ones containing structured triglycerides. In the case of structured lipids, both medium and long chain fatty acids can be found in one triglyceride molecule, leading to a favorable interfacial location of structured triglycerides. Besides the advantageous metabolic effects of structured triglycerides, their application is recommended to improve the physical stability of TPN admixtures.