Enhancing the stability of spray-dried vitamin A acetate: the role of synergistic wall materials in microencapsulation

BACKGROUNDVitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is susceptible to environmental factors, which can result in reduced activity. The stability of vitamins directly affects the shelf life and market competitiveness of products in the nutrient-fortified foods/drugs sector. Encapsulation via emulsion spray drying is a commonly utilized method to enhance the stability of active substances. It boasts a wide range of applications and capability for automated and continuous production. The wall material of microcapsules represents one of the pivotal factors influencing their properties, potentially mitigating the degradation of active substances during storage.RESULTSThis study aimed to investigate the characteristics of vitamin A acetate (VAA) high-loading-capacity emulsions and microcapsules formulated with different encapsulating agents (gum arabic (GA), gelatin (GEL), white sugar (WS) and octenyl succinic acid-modified starch) prepared by spray drying. According to the accelerated storage experiment formula, the shelf life of microcapsules stored at 60 degrees C for 35 days is about 1 year, and the retention rate of GA + GEL/WS microcapsules with a loading capacity of 100 g kg-1 reaches over 90%. The performance of microcapsules with different wall materials was investigated and the reasons for the enhanced stability through the interaction between wall materials were analyzed.CONCLUSIONThe results showed that spray drying of microcapsules improved the water solubility and storage stability of VAA. At high loading levels, the synergistic effect between wall materials can improve the density of microcapsules, thereby enhancing the storage stability of VAA microcapsules. Such higher storage stability is beneficial for extending the shelf life of fortified foods and pharmaceuticals, thereby expanding the application of VAA in the food sector. (c) 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.