Role of flaxseed Lignan macromolecules on bioavailability of α-linolenic acid in emulsions: digestive enzymes inhibitory mechanism

In this study, a plant polyphenol flaxseed lignan macromolecules (FLM) was used to solve the problem of oxidation and digestion of α-linolenic acid (ALA) enriched emulsions. Results revealed that the incorporation of FLMs into the emulsions effectively mitigated ALA oxidation during digestion, particularly after 150 °C heat treatment (FLM 150). Notably, FLM 150 delayed the release of free fatty acids (FFAs) from the emulsions, while it also led to a 10.6 % increase in FFA release. Multispectral and molecular docking analyses proved that the delayed FFA release might be attributed to a reduction in enzymatic activity due to interactions between enzymes and p-coumaric acid glucosides in FLMs. Conversely, an improvement in the catalytic efficiency of pepsin and pancreatin lipase by FLMs enhanced the FFA release, which also facilitated by the positioning at the interface of digestive enzymes. Our findings hold significant promise for FLMs in improving the bioaccessibilty of ALA enriched emulsions.