A New Approach in Preparing Curcumin Microcapsules from Temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.) Extract as a Source of Natural Antioxidants for the Pharmaceutical and Food Industries

Temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.) is a native Indonesian plant rich in curcumin. The utilization of curcumin in the food and pharmaceutical industries is restrained mainly by its poor solubility in aqueous systems and its instability. Therefore, this study proposes applying microencapsulation technology to overcome these problems. This study focuses on a new approach for microencapsulating curcumin from temulawak extract using single and composite coating materials with spray drying. The results showed that the yield of microcapsules reached 65.34-72.71%, with a curcumin content of 284.93-404.67 mg/100g. Using composite coating materials significantly increased the microencapsulation efficiency, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of microcapsules. All coating materials produced microcapsules with bright yellow color profiles, high solubility (89.52-97.23%), moisture content of around 2.13-3.71%, low aw (0.31-0.33), and tended to be non-hygroscopic with microparticles with an average size of around 1.13-2.43 mm. The morphological structure of microcapsules prepared with composite coating materials was mainly round and oval, with a smooth surface, no cracks, and some wrinkles. In conclusion, using composite coating materials in the microencapsulation process of curcumin from temulawak extract generally refines the physicochemical properties of the resulting microcapsules. In particular, WPI-βCD coating material is recommended for producing curcumin microcapsules from temulawak extract.