Microencapsulation of Saffron Petal Phenolic Extract: Their Characterization, In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion, and Storage Stability

Abstract

Saffron petal, as a byproduct of saffron processing, contains a considerable amount of antioxidant compounds. In the present study, the effect of drying methods (spray and freeze) and different wall structures (maltodextrin and pectin) was investigated on the physicochemical characteristics of microcapsules of saffron petal extracts. Results showed that the increase of the pectin ratio in wall composition leads to the increase of polyphenols content and antioxidant activity of microcapsules. Microencapsulation efficiency and loading capacity in pectin‐contained samples were higher than pure maltodextrin samples. Moreover, microcapsules obtained from spray drying method had higher microencapsulation efficiency and loading capacity in comparison with microcapsules obtained from freeze drying method. Also, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry have been shown to be useful tools for establishing the difference between produced microcapsules. High‐performance liquid chromatography was used to evaluate the polyphenolic compounds of the microsphere. The chromatograms obtained from both encapsulation methods indicated high levels of routine in microcapsules of saffron petal extract. In addition, the release of polyphenols from microcapsules of saffron petal extract was evaluated under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The results indicated that the release behavior of the microcapsules varied according to the type of drying method and wall composition. To assess the shelf life, the microcapsules were kept at different temperatures and relative humidities for 16 weeks. The microcapsules produced by freeze drying and containing high levels of pectin in wall composition had the highest antioxidant activity when kept in relative humidity of 11% and temperature of 4 °C. Practical Application Saffron petal is the huge amount of saffron by‐product and contains a number of various antioxidant compounds. Microencapsulation of its valuable compounds results in preventing the destruction of these compounds by environmental factors and their increased bioavailability. Indeed, this paper focuses on the release of microencapsulated powder in the simulated system of the digestive system that helps us to improve the shelf life of the final product during the process and controlled release of compounds in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Spray drying encapsulation of stevia extract with maltodextrin and evaluation of the physicochemical and functional properties of produced powders

“…It evaluated the total mass content present at the surface and the results obtained by the differences in mass suggest that the bioactive compounds present in the extract were mostly (∼80%) retained in the nucleus. Another point is the absence of cracks in the surface of the microcapsules, which indicate the nonpermeability of the wall and, consequently, the inconvenient removal of the compounds from the nucleus (Ahmadian, Niazmand, & Pourfarzad, 2019).…”

“…According to Ahmadian et al. (2019), powders obtained by spray‐drying, using maltodextrin as wall material, can agglomerate due to the high moisture absorption property of maltodextrin, which causes the particles to stick together and create an agglomeration.…”

Nano‐emulsion of saffron essential oil by spontaneous emulsification and ultrasonic homogenization extend the shelf life of shrimp ( Crocus sativus L.)

“…Ahmadian et al also demonstrated that the microencapsulation of saffron petal bioactive compounds prevents these compounds’ destruction due to their environmental components. Thus, the shelf life of the terminal product could be upgraded during the process and the controlled release of ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industries (Ahmadian et al., 2019).…”

Valorization of spent black tea by recovery of antioxidant polyphenolic compounds: Subcritical solvent extraction and microencapsulation

“…The scanning range was 5–40° 2θ at a speed of 2° 2θ/min. The degree of crystallinity was calculated as described by Ahmadian, Niazmand, and Pourfarzad (2019): where CD is the degree of crystallinity (%); I net , the crystalline intensity of peaks; and I total , the overall intensity.…”