Kelly Aparecida Dias, Lívya Alves Oliveira, Stephanie Michelin Santana Pereira, Valéria Silva de Lana, Júlia Francisquini D'Almeida, Izabela Maria Montezano de Carvalho, Hércia Stampini Duarte Martino, Ítalo Tuler Perrone, Elad Tako, Vitor L. Sanches, Mauricio Ariel Rostagno, Ceres Mattos Della Lúcia
Jabuticaba (Plinia cauliflora), a Brazilian berry rich in phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, but the instability and low bioavailability of these bioactive compounds limit their use, highlighting extraction and microencapsulation as preservation strategies. This study aimed to develop a spray-dried microencapsulated jabuticaba extract using maltodextrin as a carrier, while optimizing the extraction of phenolic compounds to enhance encapsulation efficiency and the retention of bioactive compounds. The peel and whole fruit were evaluated under different conditions (in natura, freeze-dried, oven-dried) to determine the most promising source of bioactive compounds. Extraction conditions included hydroethanolic solvents (50:50 and 80:20 v/v, acidified or non-acidified), solid concentrations (1%, 4%, and 15% w/v), and extraction times (2-24 h). The optimized extract was microencapsulated by spray drying using maltodextrin as the carrier. The freeze-dried peel showed higher phenolic recovery and antioxidant capacity than the whole fruit, with optimal extraction obtained using a 50:50 hydroethanolic solution and 2 h extraction. The extract showed high concentrations of phenolic compounds (62.38 ± 3.71 mg GAE/g), monomeric anthocyanins (11.63 ± 0.34 mg/g), and antioxidant capacity (DPPH: 14,017 ± 135 µmol Trolox/g); UPLC analysis identified cyanidin-3-glucoside (657.43 ± 2.93 mg/100 mL) and ellagic acid (71.17 ± 0.35 mg/100 mL) as the major phenolic compounds. The microencapsulated extract with maltodextrin presented low water activity (0.199 ± 0.014), spherical morphology, and retention of phenolic compounds. This study provides optimized extraction conditions and demonstrates the effectiveness of spray-drying microencapsulation using maltodextrin to stabilize jabuticaba phenolics, which may contribute to improving their stability and potential application as functional ingredients.