Pea Protein and Maltodextrin-Based Encapsulation of Anthocyanins From Black Rice Bran: Characterization, Storage...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Materials Science

Background:

• Anthocyanins from black rice bran are valuable antioxidants but prone to degradation.
• Agro-industrial by-products like rice bran present opportunities for sustainable resource utilization.
• Encapsulation is a key strategy to protect bioactive compounds and improve their delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To encapsulate anthocyanins from black rice bran using pea protein and maltodextrin.
• To evaluate the physicochemical properties, stability, and in vitro release of the anthocyanin microcapsules.
• To assess the potential of these microcapsules as functional ingredients in the food industry.

Main Methods:

• Microencapsulation of anthocyanins using pea protein (PP) and a pea protein-maltodextrin blend (PM).
• Characterization of microcapsules including encapsulation efficiency (EE), particle size, structural and thermal properties.
• Assessment of storage stability, color, and in vitro anthocyanin release under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions.

Main Results:

• The pea protein-maltodextrin blend (PM) showed higher encapsulation efficiency (94.7%) compared to pea protein alone (PP) (90.2%).
• Microcapsules exhibited significantly improved storage stability (66%-70%) over 60 days compared to free anthocyanins (54%).
• The PM formulation demonstrated a higher total anthocyanin release (59.6%) during in vitro digestion compared to PP (56.2%).

Conclusions:

• Pea protein is crucial for enhancing the storage stability of encapsulated anthocyanins.
• The developed microcapsules exhibit high encapsulation efficiency and controlled release profiles, suitable for food applications.
• These microcapsules represent a promising, plant-based, and stable source of anthocyanins for functional foods and supplements.