Physicochemical characterization of microencapsulated spice oleoresin blend using various carrier agents

The present study was carried out to assess the impact of various carrier agents on the physical and chemical properties of microencapsulated spice oleoresin blend. Oleoresins of turmeric, chilli, and coriander were mixed in a definite ratio to get the flavour and aroma of the generally used spice mix in south India. The blend was microencapsulated by spray drying using three different carrier agent combinations, such as gum arabic - GA, maltodextrin - MD, and sodium caseinate - SC for comparison. The use of MD: GA combination had the highest encapsulation efficiency of 77.14 ± 2.05% and an encapsulation yield of 45.92 ± 0.85%, surpassing MD: SC and MD: GA: SC combinations. Physical parameters like hygroscopicity and solubility were higher for MD: GA combination, along with better particle morphology and improved flowability. Retention of active compounds in the microencapsulated powder having MD and GA combination was observed as 98.57% for curcumin, 93.52% for capsaicin, and 95.61% for linalool. The findings obtained in the present study indicated that combining MD and GA effectively protected the oleoresin and enhanced its stability compared to the other two combinations.