Encapsulamento do β-Caroteno presente no óleo de Sacha inchi pela coacervação complexa : formação, caracterização e liberação

Abstract

Sacha inchi oil (OSI) (Plukenetia volubilis L) is rich in fatty acids and carotenoids such as β-carotene (β-C). β-C is a precursor of vitamin A and has antioxidant properties. Such compounds are sensitive to external factors (heat, oxidation and alkalinity) and under such conditions may have their biological potential reduced. Microencapsulation is an alternative in protecting sacha inchi oil and its components. Among microencapsulation methods, complex coacervation has advantages such as low concentration of wall materials, high encapsulation efficiency, and a variety of biopolymers that can be used as wall materials. Complex coacervation consists of electrostatic interactions between two or more polymeric solutions, which have opposite charges. It consists of three basic steps: emulsification, coacervation and cross-linking. Biopolymers such as proteins and polysaccharides are the most used as wall materials in microencapsulation by complex coacervation, these are natural and have functional properties. The objective of this work was to encapsulate the β-C present in the OSI through the complex coacervation technique using whey protein (WPI) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as wall material. The WPI and CMC system proved to be efficient as a wall material, with high β-C encapsulation efficiency (96.21%). The gastrointestinal simulation system indicated that the release of β-C occurred mainly in the intestine (92%) and a relatively smaller portion in the gastric phase (11-16%). Bioaccessibility demonstrated that 33.14% of β-C is available for absorption, while the stability of microcapsules was 82.73%. The simulation in oily foods occurred by Fickian diffusion according to the Rigger-Peppas model. The results achieved suggest the effectiveness of the wall materials used to encapsulate active ingredients