Encapsulation of bioactive compounds extracted from Cucurbita moschata pumpkin waste: the multi-objective...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Pumpkin waste is rich in valuable bioactive compounds like beta-carotene and phenolics.
• Encapsulation is crucial for preserving and delivering these bioactives, but requires optimal carrier selection.
• Artificial neural networks (ANNs) offer a powerful tool for optimizing complex formulation parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an ANN model for identifying optimal carrier mixtures (pea protein, maltodextrin, inulin) for pumpkin waste bioactives.
• To encapsulate beta-carotene and phenolics using freeze-drying and characterize the resulting encapsulates.
• To evaluate the physical, chemical, and stability properties of the encapsulated bioactives.

Main Methods:

• Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling was employed to determine optimal carrier (pea protein-P, maltodextrin-M, inulin-I) ratios.
• Freeze-drying was used for the encapsulation process.
• Characterization included bioactive content, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, solubility, color, morphology (SEM), stability, and release kinetics.

Main Results:

• Two optimal encapsulates were identified: OE-T (highest total bioactives) and OE-EE (highest encapsulation efficiencies).
• These encapsulates exhibited specific particle sizes (approx. 90-95 µm) and span values, indicating good flowability.
• High release of phenolics (up to 71%) and beta-carotene (up to 48%) was observed at pH 7.4 within specified timeframes.

Conclusions:

• The developed ANN model accurately predicted encapsulate preparation with determination coefficients of 1.000.
• Optimized encapsulates demonstrate potential for effective delivery of pumpkin waste bioactives.
• Freeze-drying encapsulation provides a viable method for stabilizing and enhancing the release of valuable compounds from food waste.