Physical properties of feeds for novel bioactives – encapsulating bead formation
Hansen, Mackenzie M.
Abstract
Encapsulation involves the entrapment of sensitive bioactive compounds with structure- forming food components to enhance protection and delivery. Blends of proteins and glass- forming carbohydrates are often used as encapsulation matrices and for structure formation. When bioactives intended for encapsulation are mixed with structuring proteins under acidic and neutral pH conditions and ambient temperatures, weak, non-covalent protein-bioactive interactions have been reported to occur. Complex formation may influence the physical properties of dispersions as well as dried products formed by feed mixtures. We hypothesized that: (i) Processes forming concentrated protein-carbohydrate feed dispersions into dry, solid beads could be developed, and (ii) formulation composition changes such as varied total solids, protein-carbohydrate ratios, protein isolates with different purities and structures, carbohydrate types, bioactives contents, and bioactives sources with diverse structures and sizes of predominant compounds would result in changes to the physico-chemical properties and drop formation abilities of dispersions, as well as the physical characteristics of dry beads formed. Key objectives of the present study were: (i) the development of two different simple, continuous processes forming feed dispersions into dried, novel bead structures, and (ii) characterization of the effects of changes in formulation compositions on the physical properties of liquid feeds and resulting dry beads.
Keywords
Protein, Bioactives, Encapsulation, Physico-chemical properties, Freeze granulation