PREPARATION OF FLAXSEED OIL EMULSIONS

The purpose of this study was to prepare emulsions of flaxseed oil. The hydrophile-lipophile-balance value (HLB) of flaxseed oil was estimated from its fatty acid composition. This value was computed to be equal to 3.23. Emulsions were prepared with either Span 65 (HLB = 2.1) or Tween 40 (HLB = 15.6) at various concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 5%. The results indicated that overall, Span 65 produced better sedimentation volume value (F) than Tween 40 (p < 0.0001) however both emulsifiers produced similarly pharmaceutically acceptable F values at concentrations of 4% and 5%.