Microencapsulation of Essential Oil from Fruits of Pterodon emarginatus Using Gum Arabic and Maltodextrin as Wall Materials: Composition and Stability

The present investigation reports the microencapsulation of the essential oil from the fruits of Pterodon emarginatus by spray drying using gum arabic and maltodextrin. X-ray diffraction studies established that the essential oil was entrapped within the microcapsules rather than being adsorbed onto the surface. The morphology of the microcapsules was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size (Sauter [3,2]) and particle size distribution of microcapsules were also determined. The microcapsules were evaluated for the content and stability of both volatiles and the major component, -caryophyllene, for 45 days. A 1:3:3.6 blend of essential oil: gum arabic: maltodextrin offered the best protection, with 98.63% of the essential oil being retained and the same proportion of -caryophyllene being entrapped. The obtained results showed that the microcapsules might have potential applications in the protection of essential oil from fruits of P. emarginatus and contribute to the development of an herbal medicine.