Native Potato Starch and Tara Gum as Polymeric Matrices to Obtain Iron-Loaded Microcapsules from Ovine and Bovine Erythrocytes

Abstract

Iron deficiency leads to ferropenic anemia in humans. This study aimed to encapsulate iron-rich ovine and bovine erythrocytes using tara gum and native potato starch as matrices. Solutions containing 20% erythrocytes and different proportions of encapsulants (5, 10, and 20%) were used, followed by spray drying at 120 and 140 °C. Iron content in erythrocytes ranged between 2.24 and 2.52 mg of Fe/g; microcapsules ranged from 1.54 to 2.02 mg of Fe/g. Yields varied from 50.55 to 63.40%, and temperature and encapsulant proportion affected moisture and water activity. Various red hues, sizes, and shapes were observed in the microcapsules. SEM-EDS analysis revealed the surface presence of iron in microcapsules with openings on their exterior, along with a negative zeta potential. Thermal and infrared analyses confirmed core encapsulation within the matrices. Iron release varied between 92.30 and 93.13% at 120 min. Finally, the most effective treatments were those with higher encapsulant percentages and dried at elevated temperatures, which could enable their utilization in functional food fortification to combat anemia in developing countries.

Preliminary Assessment of Tara Gum as a Wall Material: Physicochemical, Structural, Thermal, and Rheological Analyses of Different Drying Methods

“…The zeta potential values were negative in all tara gum samples due to ionisable acidic groups in their structures [ 22 , 44 ]. The zeta potential represents the potential difference between the compact ion layer and the dispersant medium, determining the repulsive force between the particles and their colloidal stability [ 45 ].…”

“…The data indicate that tara gum is favourable for developing spray-drying encapsulation processes, avoiding the agglomeration of the encapsulating particles [ 22 , 30 , 47 ]. In food applications, adequate colloidal stability improves the interaction with the charged components of the matrix.…”

“…The yield was calculated based on the initial mass of the tara seeds used, and the final mass obtained after the extraction and purification was used to determine the efficiency of obtaining tara gum. The yield was expressed as a percentage and determined using the ratio between the initial and final mass, according to the following equation [ 22 ]: where is the yield in percent, is the initial mass (g), and is the final mass (g).…”

“…A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC2500, TA Instrument, New Castle, DE, USA) was also used with 2 mg of the sample. The temperature range was set from 0 to 250 °C, with a heating rate of 10 °C/min in a nitrogen atmosphere [ 22 ].…”

Effect of Germination on the Physicochemical Properties, Functional Groups, Content of Bioactive Compounds, and Antioxidant Capacity of Different Varieties of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Grown in the High Andean Zone of Peru

“…Readings were taken in reflectance modulus. The color difference (∆E) between the germinated quinoa flour and the control (ungerminated) flour was calculated using Equation (1), while the whiteness index (WI) was calculated using Equation (2) [32,33].…”