Water dispersibility of the β-carotene source and its effect on the physical, thermal, and in vitro release properties of an inclusion complex

There is a need to understand the effect of in vitro digestion on the release of beta-carotene (BC) from inclusion complexes (IC) prepared with water-dispersible (WDBC) or hexane-soluble (HSBC) sources. IC were prepared by co-precipitating WDBC or HSBC with beta-cyclodextrin and characterised using imaging, spectral (FTIR) and thermal techniques. Two solvent systems (absolute ethanol, AE and 4:3 ethanol-hexane, EH) were employed to compare extractability of BC during simulated co-digestion with rice as food matrix. WDBC-IC had greater yield (89% vs. 44%) but lower encapsulation efficiency (30% vs. 89%) than HSBC-IC. Imaging, FTIR and thermal data confirm inclusion complex formation. In vitro WDBC release extracted with AE decreased uniformly and was unaffected by rice, whereas HSBC extracted with EH exhibited gradual release towards intestinal digestion but decreased with rice. Fabricated microcapsules with suitable forms of BC may be applied for food fortification purposes.