Encapsulation of Beetroot Extract using Spray Drying

Abstract

The present work was carried out to produce a dry powder of red colour from beetroot, for natural colouring of some food products using encapsulation technique. Betalains are water-soluble, nitrogen-containing pigments which seeks awareness towards food industry. They are present in most plants belonging to the order Caryophyllales, where they execute the function of anthocyanins, and are divided into two groups: red colour betacyanins and yellow colour betaxanthins. They are bioactive molecules that comprise of health-promoting properties. In this work, the characteristic betalain and its stability is highly promoted by its encapsulation in a combination of maltodextrin and gum arabics matrix. A suitable spray-drying procedure for encapsulation is described, and a bright red powder is obtained. The strength is analyzed under different conditions and different physical and chemical analysis were done to analyze the properties of the powder.