Thermal degradation kinetics of phycocyanin encapsulation as an antioxidant agent

Abstract

Phycocyanin is a blue-light pigment that found in Cyanobacteria and two Eukaryotics algae such as Rhodophyta and Crytophyta. Phycocyanin is soluble in water and has a strong fluorescent properties as an antioxidant and normally used in food industry, cosmetic, biotechnology, and drug. However, Phycocyanin is easily damaged by a heating process. The aim of this study is to obtain the optimal condition of phycocyanin encapsulation with different coating materials, Chitosan and Carrageenan, by the calculation of heat resistance of antioxidant activity (D), range of temperature that increase the rate of degradation (Z), rate constant of degradation (k), and activation energy (Ea). The ratio of phycocyanin and the coating material are 2% (w/v) and 2 % (w/v).