Microencapsulation of Olive Leaf Extract by Spray Drying

The aim of this research was to obtain a high value powder of olive leaf extract (OLE) rich in polyphenols by spray drying. Since carrier, polyphenols/carrier ratio, and inlet temperature could have an impact on process yield and polyphenol retention, to define the most promising drying conditions for OLE experiment with gallic acid model solutions (GAS) was conducted. Influence of carrier type (maltodextrin, inulin, gum arabic, and their two-component blends), polyphenols/carrier ratio, and temperature on process yield of spray dried GAS was examined, and for each carrier the most promising temperature and ratio were selected. Optimal temperature for all GAS samples was 150°C, and optimal gallic acid/carrier ratio for samples with inulin or gum arabic was 3:1, while for all other combinations it was 5:1. In OLE powder produced under these conditions, polyphenol content and physical properties (rehydration, bulk density) were determined. Mixture of maltodextrin and gum arabic resulted in the highest OLE product yield (54.48%) and the highest polyphenol retention (56.50%) obtaining good physical properties (bulk density =0.31 g ml–1, rehydration time=98 s), while use of inulin resulted in the lowest yield (32.71%), polyphenol retention (28.24%), bulk density (0.25 g ml–1), and the highest rehydration time (140 s)