Study on stability of rose anthocyanin extracts and physicochemical properties of complex with whey protein isolate after spray drying

Abstract Pingyin rose is an edible flower rich in anthocyanins. In this study, antioxidant capacity and color were used as the main evaluation indexes to investigate the effects of common physical and chemical factors on the stability of rose anthocyanin extracts (RAEs). In addition, the physicochemical properties of the whey protein isolate (WPI)‐RAEs complex after spray drying were studied. Vitamin C, temperature, and some metal ions can cause different degrees of discoloration of RAEs solution. More importantly, heat treatment, as well as most metal ions and sugars, had no significant effect on the antioxidant capacity of RAEs solution ( p > 0.05). Moreover, compared to spray‐dried pure WPI, the WPI‐RAEs powder was delicate and uniform, and had higher particle size, bulk density, moisture activity, and better gel properties. The release rate of all WPI‐RAEs sol/gel to RAEs reached about 89% in the intestinal digestion stage, but the WPI‐RAEs interaction reduced the digestibility of protein in the intestinal digestion stage. We hope that this study can provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of WPI‐RAEs as food ingredients.