Effect of wall materials and storage temperature on anthocyanin stability of microencapsulated blueberry extract

This study evaluated the anthocyanin stability and the formation characteristics of microencapsulated blueberry extract produced by a spray-drying method using maltodextrin DE20 and hi-maize wall materials as the standard formulation (S); the other treatments were combined with inulin (T1), gum arabic (T2), and inulin and gum arabic (T3). The characteristics of microcapsule formation and the stability were evaluated at different storage temperatures during 60 days of analysis. The microcapsules showed encapsulation efficiency that ranged from 96.80 to 98.83%. Of all the treatments, T3 presented the lowest anthocyanin loss at all the storage conditions (5.94% at room temperature, 5.82% at refrigeration, and 4.45% at freezing temperature) and, the longest half-life (679.81 days at room temperature, 693.32 days at refrigeration, and 913.41 days at freezing temperature). The combination of wall materials resulted in substantially improved stability, as well as the protection of anthocyanin compounds under the simulated gastrointestinal conditions, which was possibly due to synergistic action. These results are important findings regarding the preservation and increased shelf-life of anthocyanin compounds, given the instability of these compounds, and they increase the possibility of using them as functional ingredients by the food industry.