Encapsulation of Bioactive Compounds From Vegetables for Better Nutraceutical Delivery

Abstract

Bioactive compounds are generally highly susceptible to environmental processing and gastrointestinal conditions, and therefore subject to rapid inactivation. Encapsulation would be an effective means of delivering stable forms of bioactive compounds as it slows down the degradation processes or prevents degradation until the product is delivered at the required sites. Polyphenols comprise one of the most abundant and ubiquitous groups of plant metabolites and are vital part of both human and animal diets. Carotenoids, mainly found in fruits and vegetables that typically have 40-carbon molecules and multiple conjugated double bonds, are a class of natural pigments. Organosulphurs are another class of bioactive components found in vegetables. Spray-drying, a well-known technology in the food industry, is at the present the most commonly used microencapsulation method for bioactive compounds. Freeze-drying in combination with matrix molecules has been proposed as an alternative for spray-drying of heat sensitive bacteria. Coaxial-air-flow bead generator is used to produce small alginate microcapsules in a controllable manner.