Proceedings Volume 2010 (format .pdf) - SimpBTH

VANILLIN RELEASE FROM AGAR MICROCAPSULESA. STOICA-GUZUN, L. DRAGNE, M. STROESCU, I. JIPA, S. CIUMPILEACABSTRACTEncapsulation has found numerous applications in food and pharmaceutical industries because offersseveral advantages: slows down the degradation processes and/or prevents degradation of bioactivecompounds. Flavors can be encapsulated for a sustained release in different food formulations.The aim of this paper is to present experimental data concerning vanillin release from agar capsulesformulated as matrix type delivery system. Because vanillin can adhere to the surface of agarcapsules, the surface vanillin and also the encapsulated vanillin was determined for different agarmicrocapsules.Keywords: microcapsules, vanillin, agar, flavorINTRODUCTIONMicroencapsulation is a technology that has solved many problems thatlimit the use of ingredients and food additives. For example, encapsulationincreases the stability of the products and can provide control release of theingredients under prestablished conditions. Microencapsulation has also foundwidespread use in the food and beverage industry. Flavor microencapsulationentraps tiny volumes of the flavoring substance in micro and nano particles ofdifferent materials having a huge impact on the flavor profile of the final productthey are used in. Despite the wide range of encapsulated products that have beendeveloped, microencapsulation is still far from being fully developed in the foodindustry [Anal and Singh 2007, Krishnan et al. 2005, Gouin 2004, Rosemberg andYoung 1993]. It is a very active research area, in which there is a constant streamof new, improved techniques and consequently patent applications.The techniques used for microencapsulation are spray drying, spraycooling/chilling, freeze-drying, spinning disk and centrifugal coextrusion,extrusion, fluidized bed technology, coacervation, liposome entrapment, cocrystallizationand microencapsulation processes based on supercritical fluids[Krasaekoopt et al. 2003]. Entrapment of actives in an amorphous matrix is one ofthe most used techniques of encapsulation.Numerous materials, especially biopolymers, are available for foodapplication, for example: starch, chitosan, agar, calcium alginate. Agar, forexemple, is a gelatinous substance derived from red algae. Agar consists ofa mixture of agarose and agaropectin. Agar is insoluble in cold water butdissolves to give random coils in boiling water. Because it forms hydrogelsit is ideal as matrix for food actives. Vanillin is the major component ofnatural vanilla, which is one of the most widely used and importantflavoring materials worldwide. Vanillin displays also antioxidant and253