Sains Malaysiana 55(4)(2026): 645-657

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2026-5504-05

 

Red Palm Oil Submicron Emulsions Formulated by D-Phase Emulsification: A D-Optimal Mixture Design Study Using Sucrose Palmitate and Glycerol

(Emulsi Submikron Minyak Sawit Merah Diformulasikan melalui Pengemulsian Fasa-D: Kajian Reka Bentuk Campuran D-Optimal menggunakan Sukrosa Palmitat dan Gliserol)

 

ELSA FITRIA APRIANI¹, MAHDI JUFRI^1,*, TOMMY JULIANTO BUSTAMI EFFENDI^2,3, WINDY KEUMALA BUDIANTI⁴, NURZALINA ABDUL KARIM KHAN⁵, BUDIAWAN⁶ & ADILAH MARWA¹

 

¹Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, 16424, Indonesia

²Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

³Department of Pharmacy Mitra Bunda Health Institute, Batam, 29454, Indonesia

⁴Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia - Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central General Hospital, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia

⁵Discipline of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

⁶Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, 16424, Indonesia

 

Received: 2 June 2025/Accepted: 31 March 2026

 

Abstract

Red palm oil (RPO) contains carotenoids, which are highly beneficial to human health owing to their antioxidant properties. RPO has low stability during storage; hence, it must be formulated in a submicron emulsion. This study aims to enhance the formulation of RPO submicron emulsion using a D-phase emulsification method with D-optimal mixture design methodology. The effect of the concentration of RPO (45%-60%), sucrose palmitate (10%-25%), and glycerol (25%-40%) on globule size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential was investigated. The optimum formula was then subjected to a short-term accelerated stability test at 40 °C for 7 days, comparing the carotenoid retention in the submicron emulsion versus bulk RPO and characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The data showed that an increase in component concentrations below a preset limit resulted in a significant change in response cubically, thus yielding high coefficients of determination (R²>0.96) for all three responses (p<0.05). The optimum formula was achieved with components in the proportions of 55.70% RPO, 12.05% sucrose palmitate, and 32.25% glycerol, with globule size, PDI, and zeta potential of 184.20±2.75 nm, 0.079±0.011, and -40.40±0.53 mV, respectively. Notably, the short-term stability study showed that the submicron emulsion system significantly improved carotenoid stability compared to bulk RPO after 7 days at 40 °C. The TEM study confirmed that the emulsion globules form spheres and are uniformly distributed, whereas the FTIR study showed no chemical interactions. In summary, the D-phase emulsification method effectively produced a stable RPO submicron emulsion.

Keywords: D-optimal mixture design; D-phase emulsification; optimization; red palm oil; submicron emulsion

 

Abstrak

Minyak sawit merah (MSM) mengandungi karotenoid yang sangat bermanfaat untuk kesihatan manusia kerana sifat antioksidannya. MSM mempunyai kestabilan yang rendah semasa penyimpanan; oleh itu, ia mesti diformulasikan dalam emulsi submikron. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan formulasi emulsi submikron MSM menggunakan kaedah pengemulsian fasa-D dengan metodologi reka bentuk campuran D-optimum. Kesan kepekatan RPO (45%-60%), sukrosa palmitat (10%-25%) dan gliserol (25%-40%) ke atas saiz globul, PDI dan potensi zeta telah dikaji. Formula optimum kemudiannya tertakluk kepada ujian kestabilan dipercepatkan jangka pendek pada suhu 40 °C selama 7 hari, membandingkan pengekalan karotenoid dalam emulsi submikron berbanding MSM pukal dan dicirikan menggunakan Mikroskopi Elektron Pengimbasan (TEM) dan spektroskopi Fourier transformasi inframerah (FTIR). Data menunjukkan bahawa peningkatan kepekatan komponen di bawah had pratetap menyebabkan perubahan ketara dalam tindak balas secara kubik, dengan itu menghasilkan pekali penentuan yang tinggi (R²>0.96) untuk ketiga-tiga tindak balas (p<0.05). Formulasi terbaik dicapai dengan komponen dalam perkadaran 55.70% RPO, 12.05% sukrosa palmitat dan 32.25% gliserol dengan saiz globul, PDI dan potensi zeta masing-masing adalah 184.20±2.75 nm, 0.079±0.011 dan - 40.40±0.53 mV. Terutamanya, kajian kestabilan jangka pendek menunjukkan bahawa sistem emulsi submikron meningkatkan kestabilan karotenoid dengan ketara berbanding MSM pukal selepas 7 hari pada suhu 40 °C. Kajian TEM telah mengesahkan bahawa globul emulsi membentuk sfera dan diedarkan secara seragam, manakala kajian FTIR menunjukkan tiada interaksi kimia. Ringkasnya, kaedah pengemulsian fasa-D berkesan menghasilkan emulsi submikron MSM yang stabil.

Kata kunci: Emulsi submikron; minyak sawit merah; pengemulsian fasa D; pengoptimuman; reka bentuk campuran D-optimum

 

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*Corresponding author; email: mahdijufri@farmasi.ui.ac.id