Stabilization of Microcapsules Using a Freeze-Dried Gelatin Matrix: Aqueous Redispersibility and the Ingredient Activity

Abstract

Microcapsules are of great interest to the food and pharmaceutical industries as vehicles to deliver active ingredients to the gastrointestinal tract. Drying plays an important role in stabilizing microcapsules to prolong their lifetime; however, drying often produces undesirable changes in the microcapsules, such as irreversible aggregation of the microcapsules and activity loss of the encapsulated ingredient. In this work, poly(epsilon-caprolactone) microcapsules containing a model bioactive compound (tocopherol) were prepared and stabilized in a freeze-dried gelatin matrix. This dried product was rehydrated and the aqueous redispersibility of the microcapsules and the tocopherol activity were investigated. The experimental results suggested that a kinetic balance between dehydration (caused by freezing) and gel network formation is a critical factor that affects the redispersibility and ingredient activity of the products. It was further suggested that a hydrogel-based product could be strategically freeze dried to maximize product quality by tuning its freezing process; that is, by employing a controllable dehydration process.