Stability of Curcumin Microencapsulated by Spray and Freeze Drying in Binary and Ternary Matrices of Maltodextrin, Gum Arabic and Modified Starch

Curcumin yellow dye is considered as an antioxidant, susceptible to light and oxidative degradation. Microencapsulation improves its stability and facilitates its use. This work aimed to investigate the effects of different formulation wall materials (gum arabic, a binary mixture of maltodextrin and modified starch, and a ternary mixture of gum arabic, maltodextrin and modified starch) and different drying methods (for spray and lyophilization) on the stability of microcapsules of turmeric oleoresin. The drying method affected retention curcumin powder in the drying process and storage of the microcapsules under incident light. Curcumin retention during lyophilization was greater than spray drying, but showed the opposite behavior during storage; spray-dried capsules had a higher retention of curcumin after 8 weeks under light exposure. As a result, the ternary mixture of gum arabic, modified starch and maltodextrin was more effective to prevent loss of curcumin and color changes in the microcapsules. Practical Applications The main function of turmeric oleoresin is to give color and tempered aroma in certain foods such as pickles and mustard. The knowledge of encapsulation techniques allows the control of the bioactive components, the release time and dosage of turmeric oleoresin in the structure of the food. Moreover, the encapsulation of oleoresin helps to reduce oxidation process by exposure to the environment, increasing the shelf life and the solubility. The results of analysis of this work lead to the use of bioactive components for implementation in similar products, thereby improving their stability.