Green Coffee Extract Microencapsulated: Physicochemical Characteristics, Stability, Bioaccessibility, and Sensory...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Green coffee extract (GCE) is rich in bioactive phenolic compounds with potential health benefits.
• Microencapsulation is a technique to protect GCE's bioactives and improve its incorporation into food matrices.
• Spray drying (SD) and freeze-drying (FD) are common microencapsulation methods, while polydextrose (PD) and inulin (IN) are potential encapsulating agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of SD and FD on GCE microencapsulation using PD and IN.
• To assess the physicochemical properties, bioactive stability, and bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds in microencapsulated GCE.
• To determine the sensory impact and consumer acceptance of microencapsulated GCE in dairy beverages.

Main Methods:

• Microencapsulation of GCE using PD and IN via SD and FD.
• Characterization of physicochemical properties (moisture, water activity, hygroscopicity, particle morphology).
• Analysis of phenolic compounds' stability, bioaccessibility, and antioxidant activity in dairy beverages.

Main Results:

• FD with IN resulted in lower moisture, water activity, and hygroscopicity compared to other methods.
• SD produced spherical particles, while FD particles were irregular.
• No significant difference in phenolic bioaccessibility was observed across treatments.
• Dairy beverages with encapsulated GCE showed increased phenolic content and antioxidant activity.
• Microencapsulation facilitated controlled release of bioactive compounds (caffeine, chlorogenic acid, trigonelline) during storage.
• Dairy beverage with IN-encapsulated GCE via FD achieved highest consumer acceptability.

Conclusions:

• Freeze-drying with inulin offers superior physicochemical properties and stability for green coffee extract microencapsulation.
• Microencapsulation enhances the antioxidant potential and allows controlled release of bioactive compounds in dairy beverages.
• Inulin-based freeze-dried green coffee extract is a promising ingredient for improving the sensory attributes and health benefits of dairy products.