Elaboração de microparticulas de fitoesterol utilizando diferentes combinações de material de parede

Abstract

In recent years, the food market has been shifting toward a healthier lifestyle, with consumers seeking products that not only provide nutrition but also offer health benefits. Functional foods have emerged to meet this demand by incorporating beneficial components into existing food products to enhance their healthfulness. In this context, phytosterols are natural compounds that provide health benefits, such as lowering blood cholesterol levels when consumed in recommended amounts. However, their lipophilic nature makes their incorporation into food products challenging. Microencapsulation is an alternative strategy that enables the formation of microparticles capable of being incorporated into foods. With health promotion in mind, microencapsulation can be carried out using whey protein isolate, another ingredient highly valued in the health food sector and among consumers aiming to improve their quality of life. The objective of this study was to produce microparticles using phytosterol and different wall materials in order to determine the best combination for its incorporation. In this regard, the selected wall materials were whey protein isolate, gum arabic, and maltodextrin, which are commonly used in food industry applications. The microencapsulation process was performed using the spray drying method. An emulsion containing the wall materials and phytosterol in different proportions was prepared and subjected to drying in a spray dryer. Analyses were conducted to evaluate yield, water activity, hygroscopicity, moisture content, wettability, total and surface oil content, encapsulation efficiency, and particle morphology for characterization of the microparticles. The results showed better encapsulation efficiency of phytosterol in formulations F4 (whey protein isolate + maltodextrin) and F5 (maltodextrin + gum arabic).