Characterization of Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder Extract Encapsulated in Maltodextrin and/or Gum Arabic Coatings

Abstract

The encapsulation of bioactive-rich plant extracts is an effective method of preventing their damage or loss of activity during processing and storage. Here, the techno-functional properties of microcapsules developed from Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MoLP) extract (core) with maltodextrin (MD), gum Arabic (GA), and a combination (MDGA) (coatings) were assessed. The bulk and tap density were 0.177, 0.325 and 0.297 g/mL and 0.13, 0.295 and 0.259 g/mL for GA, MD and MDGA microcapsules, respectively. Flowability properties of microcapsules indicated an intermediate flow except for GA which had a poor flow. The moisture content of the microcapsules ranged from 1.47% to 1.77% with no significant differences (p > 0.05) observed. All the microcapsules had high water solubility (86.35% for GA to 98.74% for MD and 90.51% for MDGA). Thermogravimetric analyses revealed that encapsulation enhanced the thermal stability of the core material. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the microcapsules and extracts have an amorphous nature, which was validated by the surface morphology analysis that showed amorphous, irregular, and flake-like attributes except for MDGA microcapsules which had slightly spherical and agglomerated surfaces. The Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectra of the microcapsules showed the presence of C-O and O-H aromatic rings as well as amine groups. New spectra were observed at 1177, 1382 and 1411 cm−1 for MDGA, MD and GA, respectively, after encapsulation, which connotes a slight modification in the chemical structural pattern after encapsulation. Storage stability tests (28 days at 4, 25 and 40 °C) showed that the microcapsules were most stable at 4 °C and the stability differs significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with coating material type and temperature with MDGA showing better storage stability than others. Altogether, the attributes of the MDGA microcapsules were comparatively better than either MD or GA alone. The present data, therefore, demonstrate an effective encapsulation process for MoLP extract that can serve as fortificants in processed food products where MoLP may be used.

Encapsulation of betalain-rich extract from beetroot postharvest waste using a binary blend of gum Arabic and maltodextrin to promote a food circular bioeconomy

“…Consumer’s decision to buy food products primarily depends on physical attributes such as color ( 45 ). Table 1 presents the color parameters L*, a*, b*, C*, and ∆E of BWEP, while Figure 1 shows images of the powders.…”

Micro-Encapsulation of Phytochemicals in Passion Fruit Peel Waste Generated on an Organic Farm: Effect of Carriers on the Quality of Encapsulated Powders and Potential for Value-Addition

“…The finding that GA-and MT-produced PFPP exhibited higher solubility implies that the powders could be easily and effectively reconstituted in water and easily incorporated and evenly distributed into other products. The higher solubility of MT-encapsulated powder was also reported with eggplant peel extract, soy sauce, sour cherry juice, mango juice, and Moringa oleifera leaf extract [12,[29][30][31]. The low solubility of WS (30%) could affect the powder's application, especially in reconstituted products.…”

Characterization and quality attributes of spray‐dried Kinnow peel powder using maltodextrin and gum arabic

“…However, with increasing the MD concentration, the major peak was decreased compared to the control sample, indicating more amorphous characteristics. George et al (2021) mentioned that MD had a more amorphous nature than GA. Therefore, the samples containing a higher MD concentration showed a more amorphous nature.…”