Valorization of Onion By-Products Bioactive Compounds by Spray Drying Encapsulation Technique.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sustainable Chemistry
• Nutraceutical Development

Background:

• Food by-products, like onion waste, are rich in bioactive compounds.
• These compounds degrade easily due to environmental factors, limiting their use.
• Microencapsulation offers a solution to protect sensitive ingredients and control their release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the microencapsulation of flavonoid-rich onion by-product extract using spray drying.
• To evaluate the impact of different wall materials (maltodextrin, maltodextrin/trehalose, maltodextrin/trehalose/inulin) on powder properties.
• To assess the storage stability of the microencapsulated onion extract.

Main Methods:

• Spray drying was used to encapsulate onion by-product extract.
• Various wall materials were tested to determine their protective effects.
• Key physical and chemical properties (encapsulation efficiency, flavonoid content, moisture, water activity, density) were measured.
• Storage stability tests were conducted.

Main Results:

• Different wall materials significantly affected the microencapsulation efficiency and physical properties of the powders.
• The microencapsulation process protected the total flavonoids content.
• Optimized formulations showed promising results for stability and functionality.

Conclusions:

• Microencapsulation via spray drying is an effective method for preserving bioactive compounds from onion by-products.
• The choice of wall material is crucial for achieving desired functional ingredient properties.
• This approach promotes valorization of food waste and development of shelf-stable functional ingredients.