Effect of cinnamon masking and nanoencapsulation on fatty acid profile and health lipid indices (AI, TI) of tuna eye oil

Tuna eye oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), yet its utilization is limited by a strong fishy odor and low oxidative stability. This study evaluated the effects of cinnamon masking and nanoencapsulation using gum arabic and Tween 80 on the fatty acid profile, atherogenicity index (AI), and thrombogenicity index (TI) of tuna eye oil. Pure tuna eye oil contained saturated fatty acids (SFA) 30.23%, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) 26.93%, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) 42.76%, with EPA 6.94%, DHA 30.27%, AI 0.43, and TI 0.20. Cinnamon masking increased SFA and PUFA while decreasing MUFA, maintaining low AI and TI values due to the protective effect of cinnamon antioxidants. Nanoencapsulation reduced PUFA, particularly DHA, likely due to oxidation during processing, yet still resulted in low AI and TI values. These findings demonstrate that both treatments can modify the lipid profile and maintain favorable cardiovascular health indices, supporting the development of stable, consumer acceptable omega-3 rich products