Microencapsulation of passion fruit (Passiflora) juice with n-octenylsuccinate-derivatised starch using spray-drying

Food microencapsulation has been an efficient way of raising food shelf life during storage. In this work passion fruit juice was encapsulated with n-octenylsuccinate-derivatised starch using a spray-dryer and stored at two different temperatures. The shelf life of vitamin C was analysed and X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy and laser diffraction analyses were performed. Samples stored at 7 and 25 degrees C retained 77.1 and 71.5%, respectively, of vitamin C after 77 days of storage. Capsules had an average size of 12.5 mu m and were presented in an amorphous form. n-Octenylsuccinate-derivatised starch showed to be an interesting material for the encapsulation of passion fruit juice, and spray-drying proved itself as an inexpensive alternative to freeze-drying, capable of retaining vitamin C during a long time of storage, and easy to be diluted in order to reconstitute the passion fruit juice for human consumption. (C) 2012 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.