Spray-Drying Microencapsulation of Pink Guava (Psidium guajava) Carotenoids Using Mucilage from Opuntia ficus-indica Cladodes and Aloe Vera Leaves as Encapsulating Materials.

María Carolina Otálora,Andrea Wilches-Torres,Jovanny A Gómez Castaño

doi:10.3390/polym14020310

María Carolina Otálora, Andrea Wilches-Torres + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14020310

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Abstract

In this work, the capacity of the mucilage extracted from the cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) and aloe vera (AV) leaves as wall material in the microencapsulation of pink guava carotenoids using spray-drying was studied. The stability of the encapsulated carotenoids was quantified using UV–vis and HPLC/MS techniques. Likewise, the antioxidant activity (TEAC), color (CIELab), structural (FTIR) and microstructural (SEM and particle size) properties, as well as the total dietary content, of both types of mucilage microcapsules were determined. Our results show that the use of AV mucilage, compared to OFI mucilage, increased both the retention of β-carotene and the antioxidant capacity of the carotenoid microcapsules by around 14%, as well as the total carotenoid content (TCC) by around 26%, and also favors the formation of spherical-type particles (Ø ≅ 26 µm) without the apparent damage of a more uniform size and with an attractive red-yellow hue. This type of microcapsules is proposed as a convenient alternative means to incorporate guava carotenoids, a natural colorant with a high antioxidant capacity, and dietary fiber content in the manufacture of functional products, which is a topic of interest for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

Highlights

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a tropical fruit native to Central America, northern SouthAmerica, and the Caribbean that has spread to many other tropical and subtropical regions, including southern North America, southwestern Europe, tropical Africa, Oceania, and south and southeast Asia
We investigated the influence on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of pink guava carotenoids given by the mucilage of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) cladodes and aloe vera (AV) leaves when used as the wall material in microencapsulation processes using the SD technique
It reduced the formation time of the semi-permeable membrane around the core, resulting in a decrease in the loss of carotenoids by a migration towards the surface of the microparticle. Another phenomenon that could have contributed to the higher presence of carotenoids in the SD-AV microcapsule is the greater degree of interaction of the pulp biomolecules with the macromolecules of the AV mucilage [29]

Summary

Introduction

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a tropical fruit native to Central America, northern SouthAmerica, and the Caribbean that has spread to many other tropical and subtropical regions, including southern North America, southwestern Europe, tropical Africa, Oceania, and south and southeast Asia. Guava is a rich source of vitamin C and dietary fiber (hemicellulose, pectin, cellulose, and lignin), and has a lower content of other micronutrients such as vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B5 (pantothenic acid). It is a good source of phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium, and sodium [2,3]. A single guava fruit can provide as much as 250% of the required daily value of vitamin C [3]. This fruit has been recognized as a potential source of functional compounds with high antioxidant capacities, such as tannins, phenols, triterpenes, flavonoids, and carotenoids [4,5]

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