Improving the stability of phycocyanin by spray dried microencapsulation

Abstract

Herein we investigated the utilization of various encapsulation materials of blue pigments phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis extract by spray drying to ensure the stability in foods. Various combinations and ratios of wall materials (maltodextrin, gum arabic, whey protein isolate, and sodium caseinate) were tried to examine the emulsion characterization, physical properties, and efficiency of the microcapsules. The moisture content and water activity of the microcapsules having different wall materials were quite similar to each other. However, wall material type and ratio significantly affected the solubility, color values, and microencapsulation efficiency. While the highest microencapsulation efficiency (91.19% ± 0.88%) was achieved with a combination of gum arabic and whey protein isolate as wall material, the highest blueness index was observed in phycocyanin powder encapsulated with maltodextrin and whey protein isolate. Novelty impact statement Microencapsulation by spray drying method was preferred for protecting phycocyanin from external factors that improve its stability. The effect of typical wall materials based on carbohydrate (maltodextrin, gum arabic) and protein based (whey protein isolate, sodium caseinate) on the feed emulsion and the properties of the final powder product was investigated in detail. In the development of microcapsules, the highest microencapsulation efficiency was obtained in gum arabic and cheese protein isolate, but combinations of maltodextrin and whey protein isolate wall material, attractive blue color, and acceptable microencapsulation efficiency were achieved.