Mare’s and Cow’s Milk Fortified with Flaxseed Oil Through Freeze-Drying Microencapsulation: Physicochemical and Nutritional Properties

The microencapsulation via freeze drying of flaxseed oil in cow and mare milk was analyzed. The physicochemical and nutritional properties of the four obtained freeze-dried powder products were comparatively analyzed: microencapsulated and fortified with flaxseed oil cow milk (CMFO) and mare milk (MMFO), as well as pure cow milk (CM) and pure mare milk (MM). The moisture content, water activity, particle size distribution (PSD), loose and tapped bulk densities, flowability, color, and fatty acid profiles of the freeze-dried powders as well as the PSD of reconstituted emulsion droplets were investigated. For both types of milk, the fortified products achieved lower moisture content and water activity, higher loose and tapped bulk densities, better flowability, and lower particle sizes for the reconstituted emulsion droplets. The PSDs of the powders and reconstituted emulsion droplets showed significantly lower levels for the mare milk products than the cow milk products. The atherogenic index (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI) of cow milk products were three and six times higher than those for mare milk products, respectively. In both types of milk, fortified products did not show differences in their AI and TI values, except for the TI for cow milk (where CMFO < CM). The hypercholesterolemia fatty acid index (HcFA), hypocholesterolemic acids (DFAs), hypercholesterolemic acids content (OFA), and n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio showed greater health benefits from mare milk products. Fortification with flaxseed oil showed increased health-promoting properties in the case of the DFA and OFA parameters (for mare milk) and n-6/n-3 ratio (for cow milk).