Fucopol as encapsulating matrix of bioactive compounds

Mestrado em Engenharia Alimentar - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaFucoPol is an exopolysaccharide produced by the Enterobacter A47, using glycerol byproduct from the biodiesel industry as carbon source. In this work, the potential of this biopolymer to produce microparticles and to encapsulate bioactive compounds by spray drying was studied. The particles were characterized in terms of morphology (Scanning Electron Microscopy), crystallinity (X-Ray Diffraction), chemical characteristics (Fourier Transform Infrared), and thermal properties (Thermogravimetric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry). FucoPol was able to form spherical microcapsules (size from 0.5 to 26.7 μm) with a thin wall (thickness from 222 to 1094 nm) and a smooth surface. A population of small particles with dented surfaces was obtained. The microcapsules presented an amorphous structure. Gallic acid (GA) and oregano essential oil (OEO) were encapsulated using FucoPol as wall material. The bioactive loading was 12.2 wt.% and 3.1 wt.% for OEO and GA, respectively. Additionally, the encapsulation efficiency was 20% for OEO and 5.3% for GA. The release profile in simulated gastric (SGF) and intestinal (SIF) fluids revealed a total release, except for the GA in SGF, where 68% retention was observed. The compounds antioxidant capacity was not affected by the encapsulation process. From the results obtained, FucoPol reveals a good potential as microcapsules forming and encapsulating materia