Microencapsulation of astaxanthin based on emulsion solvent evaporation and subsequent spray drying

Astaxanthin (AXT) is widely used in the food, drug, and cosmetics fields, but its applications are extremely limited by its intrinsic properties. Herein, a novel encapsulation system had been performed to fabricate AXT-loaded microcapsules through emulsion solvent evaporation and spray-dried methodologies. The influence of polylactic acid (PLA) concentrations on the characteristics of AXT-loaded dispersions and resultant microcapsules were investigated. The results showed that the sizes and zeta potentials of dispersions and microcapsules increased with increasing PLA content (9.8 to 24.6 wt%). The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of the microcapsules increased with increasing PLA concentration up to 21.4 wt%. The moisture content values, flowability, and bulk density of the obtained microcapsules decreased with increasing PLA content (9.8 to 24.6 wt%). Furthermore, the cell culture experiment indicated that the obtained microcapsules had no cytotoxicity and possessed excellent antioxidant activity. This work provides a new strategy for fabricating AXT-enriched microcapsules and expands their application in nutritional products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This work fabricated a novel encapsulation system for AXT through emulsion solvent evaporation and spray drying methodologies. The obtained AXT-loaded microcapsules possessed great physical stability and could expand potential applications of AXT.