Encapsulation of Bioactive Phytochemicals in Plant-Based Matrices and Application as Additives in Meat and Meat Products

Abstract

The development of plant-based functional food ingredients has become a major focus of the modern food industry as a response to changes in consumer attitudes. In particular, many consumers are switching to a plant-based diet because of their concerns about animal-derived foods on the environment, human health, and animal welfare. There has therefore been great interest in identifying, isolating, and characterizing functional ingredients from botanical sources, especially waste streams from food and agricultural production. However, many of these functional ingredients cannot simply be incorporated into foods because of their poor solubility, stability, or activity characteristics. In this article, we begin by reviewing conventional and emerging methods of extracting plant-based bioactive agents from natural resources including ultrasound-, microwave-, pulsed electric field- and supercritical fluid-based methods. We then provide a brief overview of different methods to characterize these plant-derived ingredients, including conventional, chromatographic, spectroscopic, and mass spectrometry methods. Finally, we discuss the design of plant-based delivery systems to encapsulate, protect, and deliver these functional ingredients, including micelles, liposomes, emulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, and microgels. The potential benefits of these plant-based delivery systems are highlighted by discussing their use for incorporating functional ingredients into traditional meat products. However, the same technologies could also be employed to introduce functional ingredients into plant-based meat analogs.

Microencapsulation as a Noble Technique for the Application of Bioactive Compounds in the Food Industry: A Comprehensive Review

“…[24,25]. Physical and chemical transformations are other problems that affect their stability and bioactivity [3]. Therefore, a high concentration is required to obtain the similar antimicrobial effect in food products as in in vitro tests; however, a higher concentration may impart negative consequences in food quality (estrange flavors, colors, appearance, etc.).…”

“…Microencapsulation is the process by which these natural bioactive compounds are encapsulated to protect them from degradation during various processing and storage conditions [3]. Under this process, the micro-sized particles are covered by wall material/encapsulant/shell material, which protects and isolates these particles from ambient conditions [4].…”

“…The properties of these coatings or matrices decide the release kinetics of bioactive or functional ingredients under specific conditions. In simple words, it is a process by which active ingredients are packaged within a secondary (wall) material [3].…”

“…However, solidification and exposure to high temperature may cause degradation, diffusion or leakage of heatsensitive materials and lower retention of the core material. To minimize the loss of core materials, freeze drying, coacervation, spray chilling, or cross-linking can be useful techniques for encapsulation [3,5]. This can be performed by applying chemical treatments such as gelation, physical treatments such as heating or cooling, or a combination of chemical and physical treatments to obtain the desired level of stability of encapsulates [7].…”

“…There are many conventional and advanced microencapsulation techniques that are suitable for a variety of food ingredients [3]. However, the efficiency of microencapsulation, the stability of capsules, the stability of matrix properties, and the release kinetics of active ingredients are important attributes that depend on the process as well as on the materials of encapsulation.…”