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Author Spotlight: Advancing Therapeutics with Biocompatible Sodium Alginate Hydrogel Microspheres
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Optimizing microencapsulation of α-tocopherol with pectin and sodium alginate
Jasdeep Singh1, Kamaljit Kaur1, Parminder Kumar2
1Department of Food Science and Technology, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, India.
Journal of Food Science and Technology
|August 29, 2018
Summary
Encapsulating alpha-tocopherol (a fat-soluble antioxidant) in sodium alginate and pectin improves its stability in food. Optimal conditions yielded high encapsulation efficiency, protecting this vital nutrient.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Alpha-tocopherol, a key antioxidant, faces stability issues when directly added to food products.
- Its inactivation by food components necessitates effective encapsulation strategies for preservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize microencapsulation conditions for alpha-tocopherol using sodium alginate and pectin.
- To evaluate the impact of different sodium alginate concentrations on encapsulation efficiency and microcapsule properties.
Main Methods:
- Microencapsulation of alpha-tocopherol using varying concentrations of sodium alginate (0.5-2.0%) and a fixed pectin concentration (2.0%).
- Optimization based on encapsulation efficiency, shape, size, bulk density, yield, and swelling index.
- Comparison of encapsulation efficiency between the syringe method and an encapsulator device.
Main Results:
- Optimal encapsulation efficiency of 52.91% achieved with 1.5% sodium alginate and 2.0% pectin using the syringe method.
- Microcapsules prepared with an encapsulator showed higher efficiency (55.97%) compared to the syringe method (52.11%).
Conclusions:
- Sodium alginate and pectin effectively encapsulate alpha-tocopherol, enhancing its stability.
- The encapsulator method offers superior efficiency for alpha-tocopherol microencapsulation compared to the syringe method.
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