Effect of emulsifying conditions on the microencapsulation quality of orange (Citrus sinensis) essential oil by spray drying

InformationThe effect of emulsification conditions on the encapsulation quality of spray-dried orange essential oil (OEsO) using gum Arabic as wall material was evaluated.Encapsulation quality was determined by encapsulation (EnE) and retention (ReE) efficiencies, as well as moisture and bulk density of the microcapsules.According to the analysis of variance, oil concentration, emulsification temperature and ultrasound exposure time of the emulsion, as well as their double and triple interactions, had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on EnE, ReE, moisture and bulk density of the encapsulated OEsO.Oil concentration of 10%, emulsification temperature 35°C and ultrasound exposure time of 0 min produced the best encapsulation quality of OEsO, considering EnE (98.54%) and ReE (98.54%) simultaneously.Under such conditions, the moisture content (5.0%) and apparent density (0.430 g/mL) of the encapsulated OEsO ensure its proper preservation, as well as its handling and storage.The results of this study demonstrate the relevance of emulsion preparation conditions on the encapsulation quality of spray-dried OEsO, which could impact the industrial processing of this food ingredient.