Polymeric microencapsulation of pequi oil: preparation and characterization

Authors: CASTELO, R - State University Of Ceará; SILVA, L - State University Of Ceará; ALMEIDA, H - University Of Fortaleza (UNIFOR); Cheng, Huai; Biswas, Atanu; MAGALHAES, H - Embrapa; FURTADO, R - Embrapa

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2023
Publication Date: 11/28/2023
Citation: Castelo, R.M., Silva, L.C., Almeida, H.V., Cheng, H.N., Biswas, A., Magalhaes, H.C., Furtado, R.F. 2023. Polymeric microencapsulation of pequi oil: preparation and characterization. Journal of Food Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.5327/fst.00208.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5327/fst.00208

Interpretive Summary: For nutraceutical, agricultural, and pharmaceutical applications, it is often necessary to protect an unstable bioactive compound through microencapsulation. An example is pequi oil, a product native to Brazil, which is often used in nutrition and folk medicine to promote health and treat different types of ailments. Because of its composition, pequi oil is prone to oxidation. In this work, it was encapsulated with the help of several techniques, viz., vibrating nozzle technology, ionic gelation, and polyelectrolyte complex formation. Moreover, two types of drying methods were used and compared: freeze-drying and oven-drying. Through these studies, satisfactory microparticles of pequi oil were obtained. The various processes and observations reported in this work should be helpful in the future microencapsulation of other unstable bioactive compounds.

Technical Abstract: Microencapsulation is often used to improve the stability of an unstable bioactive ingredient in food and pharmaceutical applications. In this work, pequi oil (Caryocar coriaceum) was microencapsulated by ionic gelation. The vibrating nozzle technology was used for encapsulation with the help of alginate-chitosan polyelectrolytic complexation. The influence of freeze drying and oven-drying was investigated. The emulsion and microparticles formed were also characterized. The encapsulation efficiency of the alginate/chitosan matrix was 96.17%. Oven-dried particles showed smaller particle size, higher degree of sphericity, and higher degree of swelling compared to freeze-dried particles. Through optimization of the drying method and complexation with chitosan, microparticles of pequi oil with satisfactory final characteristics were obtained. This approach should be applicable to the microencapsulation of other unstable bioactive ingredients.