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Development of iron-vitamin multilayer encapsulates using 3 fluid nozzle spray drying
Shubham Nimbkar1, M Maria Leena1, J A Moses1
1Computational Modeling and Nanoscale Processing Unit, National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management -Thanjavur, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India, Thanjavur 613005, Tamil Nadu, India.
This study developed a scalable method using 3-fluid nozzle spray drying to encapsulate iron, ascorbic acid, and folic acid. Whey protein and pectin encapsulation showed promising results for nutrient delivery and food fortification.
Area of Science:
- Food Science and Technology
- Nutritional Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Iron and folic acid deficiencies are significant global health concerns.
- Food fortification and nutrient encapsulation are key strategies to combat these deficiencies.
- Developing scalable and effective encapsulation methods is crucial for widespread application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable core-shell encapsulation method for iron, ascorbic acid, and folic acid.
- To evaluate the impact of different shell polymers (pectin, HPMC) and whey protein pH on encapsulate properties.
- To compare novel 3-fluid nozzle (3FN) spray drying with conventional 2-fluid nozzle (2FN) methods.
Main Methods:
- Utilized novel 3-fluid nozzle (3FN) spray drying with whey protein as the core and pectin or HPMC as shell polymers.
- Investigated the effect of whey protein pH on the color and properties of the encapsulates.
- Analyzed encapsulate characteristics including lightness, flowability (Hausner ratio, Carr's index), encapsulation efficiency, surface composition, and nutrient release/bioaccessibility.
Main Results:
- 3FN spray drying produced core-shell structures with improved properties compared to 2FN.
- Reducing whey protein pH to 4.0 significantly improved lightness.
- Pectin shells offered good flowability and high folic acid encapsulation (86.07%).
- HPMC shells yielded the highest lightness (60.80) and iron encapsulation (87.28%).
- Encapsulates without pH adjustment showed limited iron release (~51%) and bioaccessibility (~56%).
Conclusions:
- The 3FN spray drying technique is effective for producing core-shell encapsulates of iron, ascorbic acid, and folic acid.
- A combination of whey protein and pectin is recommended for co-encapsulation due to favorable appearance, smooth morphology, flowability, and release behavior.
- This method offers a promising approach for fortifying foods and addressing micronutrient deficiencies.
