Starch, inulin and maltodextrin as encapsulating agents affect the quality and stability of jussara pulp microparticles

Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Carbohydrate Polymers
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/carbpol

Starch, inulin and maltodextrin as encapsulating agents affect the
quality and stability of jussara pulp microparticles
Ellen Cristina Quirino Lacerda a , Verơnica Maria de Arẳjo Calado b , Mariana Monteiro c ,
Priscilla Vanessa Finotelli d , Alexandre Guedes Torres a , Daniel Perrone a,∗
a
Laboratório de Bioqmica Nutricional e de Alimentos, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av.
Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149, CT, Bloco A, sala 528A, 21941-909, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
b
Escola de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149, CT, Bloco E, 21941-909, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
c
Laboratório de Alimentos Funcionais, Instituto de Nutric¸ão Josué de Castro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, CCS, Bloco
J, 2◦ andar, sala 16, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
d
Laboratório de Nanotecnologia Biofuncional, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Brigadeiro Trompowski, s/n◦ , CCS, Bloco
A2, sala 38, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 19 November 2015
Received in revised form 24 May 2016
Accepted 25 May 2016

Available online 27 May 2016
Chemical compounds studied in this article:
Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (PubChem CID:
441667)
Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (PubChem CID:
441674)
Keywords:
Anthocyanins
Antioxidant activity
Instrumental color
Natural colorant
Shelf-life stability
Spray drying

a b s t r a c t
The influence of encapsulating carbohydrates (EC) with varying properties on the technological and
functional properties of jussara pulp microparticles produced by spray drying were evaluated using
experimental design. Microparticles produced with sodium octenyl succinate (OSA) starch at 0.5 core
to EC ratio and with mixtures of inulin and maltodextrin at 1.0 and 2.0 core to EC ratio showed darker
color, and higher anthocyanins contents and antioxidant activity. Seven microparticles showing high
water solubility and desirable surface morphology. Hygroscopicity (10.7% and 11.5%) and wettability
(41 s and 43 s) were improved when OSA starch and mixtures of inulin and maltodextrin were used. The
anthocyanins contents and color of the microparticles did not change when exposed to light at 50 ◦ C for
38 days. Finally, microparticles produced at 1.0 core to EC ratio with 2/3 OSA starch, 1/6 inulin and 1/6
maltodextrin were selected. These microparticles may be applied as colorant in numerous foods, whilst
adding prebiotic fiber and anthocyanins.
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Jussara (Euterpe edulis Martius) is a palm tree native of the

Brazilian Atlantic Forest from which a noble type of palm heart is
produced (Borges et al., 2011). However, its intense and unsustainable exploitation in the last few decades made it an endangered
species, being found only in natural reserves (Silva, Carmo et al.,
2013). Therefore, the economic valorization of jussara palm fruits,
which are exclusively obtained by extractivism, instead of the palm
heart, seems to be a sustainable way for its management as well

∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: (E.C.Q. Lacerda),
(V.M.d.A. Calado),
(M. Monteiro), pfi (P.V. Finotelli), (A.G. Torres),
, (D. Perrone).
/>0144-8617/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

as the Atlantic Forest. However, jussara palm fruits are relatively
unknown to the market and consumers, partly because they are
highly perishable.
Jussara palm fruit is a berry composed by a single light brown
seed covered by a dark purple thin and dry skin that represents
approximately 10% of the whole fruit weight (Borges et al., 2011;
Inada et al., 2015). The fruit is usually added to warm water to
separate it from the seeds by softening the skin, to yielding a very
thick dark purple juice (Supplementary Fig. S1). The purple color of
jussara pulp is attributed to the anthocyanins, mainly cyanidin-3O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (Inada et al., 2015) that
can be used as food colorants (He & Giusti, 2010). These compounds are associated with potential health benefits in humans
(Nile & Park, 2014). Although jussara is an interesting source of
these pigments, the fruit is highly perishable and anthocyanins are
susceptible to degradation when isolated (He & Giusti, 2010).

E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

Spray drying microencapsulation of solids, liquids or gaseous
materials with thin polymeric coatings is a well-established technology (Gharsallaoui, Roudaut, Chambin, Voilley & Saurel, 2007),
which could be employed for the stabilization of anthocyanins in
jussara fruit, as well as increasing its shelf-life (Ersus & Yurdagel,
2007). Different types of encapsulating agents, such carbohydrates
and proteins may be used alone or combined (Gharsallaoui et al.,
2007). Carbohydrates such as gums (Bicudo et al., 2015), starch
(Tonon, Brabet & Hubinger, 2010), modified starches (Villacrez,
Carriazo & Osorio, 2014), dextrins (Ersus & Yurdagel, 2007) and cellulose (Yousefi, Emam-Djomeha, Mousavi, Kobarfard & Zbicinski,
2015) are vastly employed and act as a protective film, isolating
the core and avoiding the deleterious effects of external factors
(Silva, Stringheta, Teófilo & Oliveira, 2013). The choice of the carbohydrate used as wall material should take into consideration its
cost, properties related to the food application, such as solubility
or emulsifying activity, as well as added value to the product, such
as bioactivity.
Maltodextrin is obtained by enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of
starch and generally shows high water solubility, low viscosity and low cost (Gibbs, Kermasha, Alli & Mulligan, 1999). Its
low emulsifying capacity can be overcome by the use of modified starches. Starch sodium octenyl succinate (OSA starch) is a
chemically modified starch that contains a lipophilic component
that enhances its amphiphilic character and thus its emulsifying
capacity (Sweedman, Tizzotti, Schäfer, & Gilbert, 2013). Another
interesting carbohydrate for encapsulation is inulin, a polysaccharide composed of fructose units linked by ␤-(2,1) bonds and
containing a glucose unit. Inulin can be commercially obtained from
chicory and has prebiotic effects, dietary fiber actions, among other
health related benefits (Ranawana, 2008).
The aim of this work was to develop a natural food colorant
with attractive and stable color characteristics that is also rich in
potentially bioactive anthocyanins. This product would add economic value to jussara and hopefully aid in the preservation of the

Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The present study evaluates the effects of
carbohydrate sources with varying properties used individually or
in combinations as encapsulating agents on the quality and stability
of jussara pulp microparticles obtained by spray drying.

2. Material and methods
2.1. Standards and chemicals
2,4,6-Tris-(2-pyridyl)-S-triazine
(TPTZ),
2,2 -azino-bisacid)
diammonium
(2-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic
salt
(ABTS),
potassium
persulfate,
(±)-6-hydroxy2,5,7,8-tetramethylchromane-2-carboxylic
acid
(Trolox),
2,2 -azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH)
and fluorescein were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical
Co. (St. Louis, MO, USA). Iron (II) sulfate was purchased from
Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, HE, Germany). Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside
and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside standards were purchased from
Indofine® Chemical Company (Hillsborough, NJ, USA). OSA starch
(commercial brand Capsul® ) with a degree of substitution of
0.0199, emulsifying activity index of 0.092 and emulsion stability
index of 0.984 was purchased from National Starch (Bridgewater,
NJ, USA). Maltodextrin MOR-REX 1920 with 22 Dextrose Equivalents (DE) was purchased from Corn Products (Mogi Guac¸u, Brazil).
Inulin with a degree of polymerization of 10 (91% fructose and 9%

glucose) was purchased from Siba Ingredients (São Paulo, Brazil).
The FTIR spectra (Supplementary Fig. S2) and the thermogravimetric curves (Supplementary Fig. S3) of OSA starch, inulin and
maltodextrin were consistent with literature data. The succinyl
moiety of OSA modified starch was confirmed due to the presence

501

of a carbonyl group signal by FTIR spectroscopy (Supplementary
Fig. S2). All solvents were of HPLC grade from Tedia (São Paulo,
Brazil). HPLC grade water (Milli-Q system, Millipore, Bedford, MA,
USA) was used throughout the experiments.
2.2. Preparation of jussara pulp microparticles by spray drying
Frozen jussara palm (E. edulis) fruit pulp was donated by Jucáaớđ
processing company, located in Resende (Rio de Janeiro State,
Brazil). Fruits (2.5 kg) were immersed in water (1 L) at 40 ◦ C for
30 min for peel softening, processed in a vertical depulper to yield
jussara pulp and stored at −20 ◦ C.
Prior to the preparation of microparticles, jussara pulp was
thawed and centrifuged (1640g, 10 min, 25 ◦ C) (SorvallTM ST 16 R
centrifuge, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, USA). The spray drying feed
solution was prepared with this supernatant in order to remove
suspended solids and facilitate the product passage through the
nozzle atomizer. The encapsulating carbohydrates (EC) were added
to the centrifuged pulp and stirred with a magnetic bar until
complete dissolution. Finally, the mixture was sonicated at 90%
amplitude for 2 min using UP100H ultrasonic processor (Hielscher
Ultrasonics, Teltow, Germany).
Jussara pulp microparticles were produced according to a
simplex-lattice design with 3factors (OSA starch, inulin and maltodextrin as EC), 3 interior points and 1 central point with two
repetitions, for each core (jussara pulp) to EC ratio (0.5, 1.0 and

2.0, w/w), totaling 33 runs (Table 1). The core to EC ratios were calculated according to the total solids content of the centrifuged pulp
Table 1
Experimental design for optimization of jussara pulp microparticles production
with different encapsulating carbohydrates (EC) and core to EC ratios, with their
corresponding encapsulating process yield.
Run

Encapsulating Carbohydrates (EC)
OSA starch

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10b
11b
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

21b
22b
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32b
33b

1
0
0
1/2
1/2
0
2/3
1/6
1/6
1/3
1/3
1
0
0
1/2
1/2

0
2/3
1/6
1/6
1/3
1/3
1
0
0
1/2
1/2
0
2/3
1/6
1/6
1/3
1/3

Inulin
0
1
0
1/2
0
1/2
1/6
2/3
1/6
1/3
1/3

0
1
0
1/2
0
1/2
1/6
2/3
1/6
1/3
1/3
0
1
0
1/2
0
1/2
1/6
2/3
1/6
1/3
1/3

Core to EC ratios

Process Yield (%)a

0.5
0.5
0.5

0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0

51.5
44.2
43.5
51.3
53.1
41.6
61.1
47.3
31.9
46.6
44.8
55.8
38.9
40.6
51.4
52.3
21.5
33.4
29.4
40.9
49.8
40.6
49.3
22.4
38.8
33.4
42.0
39.8
43.8

22.6
29.7
32.0
28.9

Maltodextrin
0
0
1
0
1/2
1/2
1/6
1/6
2/3
1/3
1/3
0
0
1
0
1/2
1/2
1/6
1/6
2/3
1/3
1/3
0
0

1
0
1/2
1/2
1/6
1/6
2/3
1/3
1/3

a
Calculated as the ratio between the mass of microparticles obtained and the
mass of total solids in the feed solution.
b
Central point.


502

E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

(5.5g/100 g), which was determined gravimetrically using an MA35
infrared moisture analyzer (Sartorius, Goettingen, Germany).
Spray drying was performed on a Mini Spray Dryer Büchi 290
(Büchi Laboratoriums Technik, Flawil, Switzerland), coupled with a
0.3 mm diameter nozzle and inlet air temperature set at 140 ± 2 ◦ C
for all experiments (Tonon, Brabet & Hubinger, 2008). The outlet temperature was not controlled (59.6 ◦ C on average). The feed
solution was kept under magnetic stirring and pumped into the
main drying chamber by a peristaltic pump, with aspiration rate of
32 m3 /h, compressor air pressure of 0.03 MPa and feed flow rate of

0.36 L/h. Spray drying process yield was calculated as the amount
of particles obtained in both the collector and cyclone in relation
to the total solids present in the feed solution (Table 1).

Esteve & Frígola, 2009; Benzie & Strain, 1996; Re et al., 1999). ORAC,
FRAP and TEAC values were expressed as, respectively, mmol of
Trolox equivalents per g, mmol of Fe2+ equivalents per g and mmol
of Trolox equivalents per g. Each extract was analyzed in triplicate.

2.3. Instrumental color

2.9. Water solubility, hygroscopicity and wettability

Instrumental color of jussara pulp microparticles was determined using Minolta CR-400 colorimeter (Konica Minolta, Osaka,
Japan), with illuminant D65, 2◦ viewing angle. The CIELab color
space was used to determine the color components: L* [black (0) to
white (100)], a* [greenness (−) to redness (+)] and b* [blueness (−)
to yellowness (+)]. The coordinates L*a*b* were measured directly
from the dry microparticles in triplicate. For the stability test, the
total color difference ( E*) was calculated according to Eq. (1).

Water solubility of selected jussara pulp microparticles was
determined as described by Cano-Chauca, Stringheta, Ramos and
Cal-Vidal (2005) with modifications. Microparticles (100 mg) were
dissolved in water (10 mL), centrifuged and the amount of soluble solids in the supernatant was determined gravimetrically and
related to total solids in microparticles.
Hygroscopicity was determined by storing selected jussara pulp
microparticles (500 mg) in a desiccator with saturated NaCl solution (75.0% relative humidity) at room temperature for 7 days. After
this period, microparticles were weighed and hygroscopicity was
expressed as percentage (Tonon, Brabet, Pallet, Brat & Hubinger,

2009a).
Wettability of selected jussara pulp microparticles was determined according to the method proposed by Hla and Hogekamp
(1999) with adaptations. Microparticles (250 mg) were added,
without agitation, on water (50 mL) at 25 ◦ C in an apparatus with
47.5 cm2 of surface area. Wettability was defined as the time in
seconds required for microparticles to be visually completely wet.
2.10 Stability during storage at 50 ◦ C
The stability during storage of microparticles selected from the
experimental design according to desired technological, functional
and physicochemical characteristics was investigated. Jussara pulp
microparticles were placed in transparent polyester bags and
vacuum-sealed. To investigate the effect of light exposure, half of
the bags were covered with aluminum foil to protect it against light.
Then, samples were placed in an oven at 50 ◦ C and approximately
relative humidity of 50% with constant exposure to fluorescent
light. Protected and unprotected microparticles were analyzed at
4 days intervals for up 38 days for color (according to section 2.3),
anthocyanins content (according to section 2.6) and antioxidant
activity by FRAP and TEAC assays (according to section 2.7).

E∗ =

Lt∗ − Lt∗
0

i

2

+ a∗t − a∗t

0

i

2

+ b∗t − b∗t
0

i

2

(1)

where L*, a* and b* are the color coordinates at initial time (t0 ) and
at nth day of storage (ti ) time.
2.4. Water activity
Water activity (aw ) of jussara pulp microparticles was measured
directly at 25 ◦ C using the LabMaster-aw analyzer (Novasina, Pfáffikon, Switzerland).
2.5. Particle size distribution
Particle size distribution was measured using the SALD-2201
laser diffraction particle size analyzer (Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan),
with measuring range from 0.3 to 1000 ␮m. Jussara pulp microparticles were suspended in isopropyl alcohol, sonicated with a
microtip probe, and particle size distribution was determined after
successive readings became constant. Particles size dispersion was
defined as the coefficient of variation of the particle size distribution analysis.
2.6. Anthocyanins contents and retention
Jussara pulp microparticles were completely dissolved in water
(0.2%, w/v) into an ultrasound bath. Anthocyanins were analyzed

according to Inada et al. (2015) on a liquid chromatography system
(Shimadzu® ), which included a quaternary pump LC-20AT, automatic injector SIL-20AHT, diode-array detector (DAD) SPD-M20A,
system controller CBM-20A and degasser DGU-20A5.
Anthocyanins retention was calculated using anthocyanin content found in the feed solution (considering its content as 2.59 mg/g
according to previous HPLC analysis) and anthocyanin content in
microparticles.
2.7. Antioxidant activity
The antioxidant activity (AA) was determined in the same
extracts used for anthocyanin analysis using ORAC (Oxygen Radical
Absorbance Capacity), FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power)
and TEAC (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity) assays (Zulueta,

2.8. Particles morphology
Selected jussara pulp microparticles were deposited on carbon
double-sided adhesive tape mounted on stubs, coated with gold
under vacuum. The stubs were observed in a scanning electron
microscope (JEOL® , JSM-6460 LV, Tokyo, Japan), operated at 20 kV
with a magnification of 2000.

2.10. Statistical analysis
The experimental matrix was generated by the Statistica software, version 7.0 (StatSoft Inc., Tulsa, OK, EUA). The effect of EC
composition was evaluated for each core to EC ratio by analysis
of variance (ANOVA) using Statistica software. Water solubility,
hygroscopicity and wettability of selected jussara pulp microparticles were compared by ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple
comparison post-test using GraphPad Prism software Windows,
version 5.04 (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA). Stability data
was analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple
comparison post-test using GraphPad Prism software. The effect
of time of storage was evaluated by comparing microparticles at
initial (t = 0) and final times (t = 38 days), while the effect of light

exposure was evaluated by comparing microparticles protected
and unprotected from light at the final time (t = 38 days). Results
were considered significant when p < 0.05.


E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

3. Results and discussion
3.1. Effect of encapsulating carbohydrates composition on jussara
pulp microencapsulation
The effect of different EC mixtures using different core to EC
ratios on technological (instrumental color, aw , particles size dispersion) and functional properties (anthocyanins contents and
retention, and AA) of jussara pulp microparticles was assessed
using a simplex-lattice experimental design (Table 2).
3.1.1. Technological properties
Color, aw and size dispersion are technological properties of
great importance when developing powders intended for employment as food colorants. aw is related to shelf life of the product,
as it affects microbial growth and enzymatic and non-enzymatic
degradation reactions. The size dispersion of the microparticles is
related to physicochemical properties that influence water solubility, hygroscopicity and wettability. The effect of EC composition,
for each core to EC ratio, on L* and a* color coordinates, aw and
particles size dispersion are shown in Fig. 1.
Although jussara pulp microparticles were visually purple (Supplementary Fig. S4), only L* and a* coordinates were considered
when choosing the EC composition, as b* coordinate presented values close to zero. Therefore, desirable microparticles would present
low L* values and high positive a* values, which correspond to dark
microparticles of predominantly red hue.
L* values of jussara pulp microparticles ranged from 23.9 (run
#28) to 46.5 (run #4) (Table 2; Fig. 1); and core to EC ratios rather
than EC composition was the main factor that affected this color
component. We observed that the higher the core to EC ratio, the

darker were the microparticles produced, which may be explained
by the light color of EC opposed to the dark color of jussara pulp.
Moreover, this behavior could also be attributed to the formation
of dark pigments due to caramelization of sugars (fructose and glucose) present in jussara pulp (Inada et al., 2015). This hypothesis
is supported by the formation of sticky particles that adhered to
the inner chamber of the spray dryer when higher core to EC ratios
were employed for microparticles production.
Jussara pulp microparticles showed a predominantly red hue,
with a* values ranging from 10.9 (run #30) to 25.2 (run #2) and
b* values ranging from −0.8 (run #2) to 3.9 (run #11) (Table 2).
In general, lower core to EC ratios led to slightly more intense red
hue microparticles. Independently of core to EC ratio, microparticles produced with EC containing high proportions of OSA starch
presented higher a* values (Fig. 1). Blackberry microparticles produced with maltodextrin, gum arabic and their mixture showed L*
(36.0–39.9), a* (19.1–23.4) and b* (3.6–3.9) values (Ferrari, Germer,
Alvim, Vissotto & Aguirre, 2012) similar to those observed for jussara pulp microparticles produced with 0.5 and 1.0 core to EC ratios.
Ac¸ pulp microparticles produced with maltodextrin 10DE at 0.5
core to EC ratio showed lighter color (L* = 54.5, a* = 10.8 and b* = 2.4)
(Tonon, Brabet & Hubinger, 2009b) than the corresponding condition in the present study (run #3, L* = 37.2, a* = 20.6 and b* = 1.2).
All jussara pulp microparticles presented low aw values, ranging from 0.252 (run #7) to 0.484 (run #25) (Table 2), considered to
be adequate for this type of product as well as inhibiting microbial
growth. Moreover, the relative rate of oxidative reactions is low at
aw values close to 0.3, which were observed for most microparticles
produced with lower core to EC ratios, suggesting that the color of
these products would be stable. Higher aw values (0.40–0.44) were
observed for jussara microparticles produced with gelatin, maltodextrin 20 DE and gum arabic at 165 ◦ C and 1.0 core to EC ratio
(Bicudo et al., 2015). Nevertheless, we observed that microparticles produced with higher core to EC ratio presented higher aw
values, which may be explained by water retention in the core due

503

to higher relative amounts of encapsulated jussara pulp, which contains hygroscopic components, such as simple sugars (Inada et al.,
2015). This hypothesis is corroborated by the inverse correlation
between aw and L* values (r = −0.691, p < 0.0001, n = 33).
Jussara pulp microparticles showed mean diameter values ranging from 1.84 ␮m to 12.08 ␮m (Table 2), slightly smaller than that
of ac¸ pulp microparticles (9.01 ␮m) produced with maltodextrin
20 DE by spray drying at 140 ◦ C (Tonon et al., 2010). In powder
foods, particle size dispersion is usually more important than mean
diameter, as it influences aspects of processing, handling and shelf
life (Tonon, Brabet, Pallet et al., 2009). Narrower particle size dispersion represents more homogenous physicochemical properties
related to the employment of food powders, such as water solubility, wettability and hygroscopicity. In the present study, particle
size dispersion was evaluated by the coefficient of variation of the
mean diameter of the microparticles and ranged from 4.6% (run
#1) to 30.2% (run #22) (Table 2). Mean particle diameter and size
dispersion were inversely correlated (r = −0.787, p < 0.0001, n = 33),
indicating that conditions that led to bigger microparticles should
be preferred over smaller ones. In general, higher core to EC ratios
led to particles with higher mean particle diameter and lower size
dispersion, possibly due to the aggregation of the sugars present in
the pulp. On the other hand, at 0.5 core to EC ratio, the EC composition had limited influence on mean diameter and size dispersion.
Considering that water solubility and viscosity of the encapsulating material are related to mean particle diameter (Elversson
& Millqvist-Fureby, 2005) and therefore size dispersion, carbohydrates with low solubility and high viscosity, such as OSA starch,
should be favored over carbohydrates with high solubility and low
viscosity, such as maltodextrin, for producing microparticles with
desirable functional properties.
3.1.2. Functional properties
Anthocyanins contents ranged from 3.3 mg/g (run #4) to
24.2 mg/g (run #1) (Table 2). Tonon et al. (2010) obtained ac¸ pulp
microparticles using maltodextrin 20 DE at 0.5 core to EC ratio with
a higher anthocyanins content (34.0 mg/g) than the corresponding
condition in the present study (run #3, 9.9 mg/g). On the other hand,

Ersus and Yurdagel (2007) obtained black carrots microparticles
under similar conditions with anthocyanins contents of 6.3 mg/g.
These differences may be explained by the concentration of anthocyanins in the core materials, spray drying conditions, as well as
the analytical procedure used to quantify anthocyanins. Authors
who have studied anthocyanins encapsulation usually employ the
differential pH colorimetric assay, while we used HPLC analysis in
the present study.
Similarly to jussara pulp (Borges et al., 2011; Inada et al., 2015),
cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside were the two
anthocyanins identified in microparticles and corresponded to
24% and 76%, respectively, of total anthocyanins. As expected,
anthocyanins contents were inversely correlated with L* values
(r = −0.488, p = 0.004, n = 33). Surprisingly, no correlations were
found between anthocyanins contents and both a* and b* values,
as one would expect based on the characteristic reddish-purple
color of cyanidins. Nevertheless, when considering only microparticles produced with 0.5 core to EC ratio, anthocyanins contents
were correlated to both a* (r = 0.796, p = 0.003, n = 11) and b* values
(r = −0.676, p = 0.022, n = 11). Jussara pulp microparticles produced
with 1.0 and 2.0 core to EC ratio presented a darker color, which
may have compromised the colorimeter ability to distinguish small
differences in red and blue hues of these samples.
Anthocyanins retention in microparticles ranged from 6.0% (run
#30) to 67.0% (run #1) (Table 2) and was correlated to both anthocyanin contents (r = 0.620, p = 0.0001, n = 33) and encapsulating
process yields (r = 0.441, p = 0.0102, n = 33) (Table 1). Under similar drying conditions, higher retention values were reported for


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E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

Table 2
Instrumental color, water activity (aw ), particles mean size and dispersion, anthocyanins contents and retention, and antioxidant activity of jussara pulp microparticles
produced according to the experimental design of Table 1.a
Run

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10h
11h
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21h
22h
23
24
25

26
27
28
29
30
31
32h
33h

Instrumental

Colorb

L*

a*

b*

32.5
38.8
37.2
46.5
37.6
41.6
40.5
35.1
32.1
43.1
45.8

34.6
30.9
29.7
35.7
37.5
27.5
31.3
30.9
30.2
39.0
38.6
28.2
25.7
25.4
32.1
31.7
23.9
25.1
24.4
25.1
24.3
23.9

24.2
25.2
20.6
17.2
23.4
22.7
23.5

23.8
23.7
19.9
19.6
23.1
21.2
18.7
22.7
22.4
17.0
23.1
21.0
17.6
21.7
22.7
21.4
19.9
16.4
20.8
20.9
15.3
14.6
10.9
15.0
13.9
14.4

0.1
−0.8
1.2

3.3
0.6
−0.3
0.6
0.4
0.4
1.9
3.9
1.4
2.2
1.1
1.2
1.4
2.1
0.6
0.7
1.7
1.2
1.8
0.7
2.3
1.8
2.2
1.7
2.3
1.8
2.2
1.6
2.1
1.8

aw

0.331
0.351
0.293
0.322
0.393
0.339
0.252
0.330
0.301
0.343
0.346
0.353
0.327
0.368
0.339
0.339
0.434
0.464
0.434
0.358
0.310
0.306
0.433
0.457
0.484
0.390
0.360

0.442
0.338
0.428
0.449
0.422
0.444

Particles Size

Anthocyanins

Antioxidant Activity

Mean (␮m)

Dispersion (%)c

Content (mg/g)

Retention(%)d

ORACe

FRAPf

TEACg

9.8
4.7
5.3

4.6
3.9
4.5
4.6
4.1
2.8
3.4
3.9
3.7
4.1
4.2
3.4
8.6
3.3
4.5
8.1
6.3
1.9
1.8
8.7
9.2
4.3
1.8
10.5
11.4
8.9
12.1
8.9
2.0
1.8

4.6
11.3
8.6
11.3
13.7
11.7
11.3
11.4
17.3
16.1
12.4
14.8
14.9
12.6
16.0
5.4
14.4
13.7
6.0
8.2
28.5
30.2
5.9
6.0
12.2
28.0
5.4
5.3
5.9

5.0
7.3
12.0
11.4

24.2
14.2
9.9
3.3
13.7
11.5
10.9
13.9
21.1
5.0
7.3
10.3
7.96
14.4
8.32
4.82
10.2
16.2
15.8
7.00
8.21
8.78
14.8
16.8
14.0

7.53
8.98
18.7
14.7
9.81
16.5
12.2
11.3

67.0
33.7
23.2
9.1
39.1
25.7
35.8
35.3
36.1
12.6
21.7
20.6
11.1
20.9
15.3
9.0
7.8
19.4
16.6
10.3
14.7

12.8
19.7
10.1
14.6
6.8
10.1
20.0
17.3
6.0
13.2
9.7
12.5

839.0
706.4
486.2
530.0
359.8
432.0
484.4
452.4
520.0
482.5
652.7
340.8
314.0
299.1
266.6
350.6
288.0

280.2
321.6
270.4
233.7
192.9
657.9
395.4
299.7
411.7
324.4
502.4
346.1
340.0
462.6
411.5
341.7

227.0
181.2
161.8
138.6
163.6
167.5
167.4
176.9
218.8
144.4
132.0
139.9
138.7

166.9
138.1
153.7
149.4
171.7
193.9
164.8
141.2
141.1
182.0
186.5
170.9
148.2
146.6
190.6
155.7
126.3
208.3
153.9
166.9

989.9
842.3
750.6
733.0
840.6
862.2
811.0
833.7
988.8

615.0
600.9
596.6
585.4
577.7
601.9
625.1
596.1
670.1
631.9
635.6
630.9
584.7
924.5
992.9
827.5
574.3
600.4
850.6
718.8
555.8
967.6
807.8
698.5

a
Antioxidant activity analyses were performed in triplicate, anthocyanins contents, instrumental color and particles size analyses were performed in duplicate and water
activity analysis was performed as a single replicate. Analyses were performed at room temperature (28 ± 2 ◦ C). All results presented a coefficient of variation lower than
10%.
b

CIELab color space was used to determine coordinates L* [black (0) to white (100)], a* [green (–) to red (+)] and b* [blue (–) to yellow (+)].
c
Calculated as the coefficient of variation of the mean particle size.
d
Calculated as the amount of anthocyanins in microparticles in relation to that in the feed solution.
e
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) expressed in mmol Trolox/g.
f
FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) expressed as mmol Fe+2 /g.
g
TEAC (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity) expressed as mmol Trolox/g.
h
Central point.

microencapsulation of ac¸ pulp with maltodextrin (82% on average) (Tonon et al., 2008), jabuticaba extract with maltodextrin and
maltodextrin/OSA starch (83% on average) (Silva, Stringheta et al.,
2013), and jussara pulp with maltodextrin (75%) (Bicudo et al.,
2015). In the present study, retention was compromised by the
low encapsulating process yields (Table 1), especially for microparticles produced with 2.0 core to EC ratio (22% to 49%), which
adhered inside the spray dryer chamber. Similar process yields
were observed for encapsulation of a M. citrifolia L. fruit extract
with maltodextrin using 0.5 (39.2%) and 1.0 (20.7%) core to EC ratios
(Krishnaiah, Sarbatly & Nithyanandam, 2012). In general, spray
drying with 50% recovery in the cyclone is considered as successful (Sahin-Nadeem & Özen, 2014). Another hypothesis that might
explain the low retention values observed in our study is that we
quantified cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside by
HPLC while those other authors determined total anthocyanins by
the differential pH assay. Therefore, heat-induced chemical transformations in specific anthocyanins, such as isomerization and loss
of sugar moiety, may have not been detected by this non-specific
colorimetric assay.

ORAC, FRAP and TEAC values were correlated with each
other (r > 0.470, p < 0.005, n = 33) and ranged, respectively, from
192.9 mmol Trolox/g (run #22) to 839.0 mmol Trolox/g (run #1),

126.3 mmol Fe+2 /g (run #30) to 227.0 mmol Fe+2 /g (run #1), and
from 555.8 mmol Trolox/g (run #30) to 992.9 mmol Trolox/g (run
#24) (Table 2). Anthocyanins contents were strongly correlated
with FRAP (r = 0.864, p < 0.0001, n = 33) and TEAC values (r = 0.711,
p < 0.0001, n = 33). Only a weak correlation was observed between
anthocyanins contents and ORAC values (r = 0.370, p = 0.0341,
n = 33), possibly due to interference of the EC composition in
this assay. Inulin presents superoxide-radical and hydroxyl radical
scavenging activities (Ren, Liu, Dong & Guo, 2011), which follow a
mechanism similar to ORAC assay. In fact, by removing from the
dataset microparticles produced with higher proportions of inulin,
a much stronger correlation was observed between anthocyanins
contents and ORAC values (r = 0.611, p = 0.0156, n = 15).
The effect of EC composition, for each core to EC ratio, on anthocyanins contents and AA are shown in Fig. 2. At 0.5 core to EC
ratio, higher proportions of OSA starch improved these variables.
At higher core to EC ratios, microparticles produced with mixtures
of maltodextrin and inulin showed higher anthocyanins contents
and AA. This behavior may be related to the relative polarity of
these carbohydrates. When higher core to EC ratios were used,
the hydrophilic anthocyanins present in jussara pulp were more
properly encapsulated by the more hydrophilic EC, maltodextrin
and inulin. On the other hand, OSA starch favored encapsulation


E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

505

Fig. 1. Instrumental color (coordinates L* and a*), water activity (aw ) and size dispersion fitted surfaces of jussara pulp microparticles produced with different encapsulating
carbohydrates (EC: OSA starch, inulin and maltodextrin) and core to EC ratios.

when a lower core to EC ratio was used. This may be explained by
the lipophilic succinyl moiety present in OSA starch structure that
would simultaneously interact with polar and non-polar molecules,
allowing the encapsulation of jussara pulp as a whole, including its
lipids and other lipophilic components (Inada et al., 2015).

To select the microparticles for further investigations on their
physicochemical attributes, data obtained for all 33 runs of
the experimental design were considered. Firstly, we prioritized
microparticles with high anthocyanins contents and dark color (low
L* values). From this pre-selection, we narrowed our choice to those


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E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

Fig. 2. Anthocyanins contents and antioxidant activity (ORAC, FRAP and TEAC assays) fitted surfaces of jussara pulp microparticles produced with different encapsulating
carbohydrates (EC: OSA starch, inulin and maltodextrin) and core to EC ratios.

microparticles that showed low values of particle size dispersion
and high antioxidant activity. Water activity was not considered as
all microparticles showed desirable aw values. By using these criteria, seven runs were selected (#1, #9, #18, #19, #24, #28, #31)
(Table 1). It is worth noting that the selected microparticles were

produced with all three core to EC ratios studied. In addition, for
each of this core to EC ratios, a different EC composition was used,
with the exception of runs #9 and #31 (1/6 OSA starch, 1/6 inulin
and 2/3 maltodextrin).


E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

3.2. Physicochemical characterization of selected jussara pulp
microparticles
Water solubility ranged from 76.8% to 85.0% (Table 3), indicating that all selected microparticles were adequately soluble in
water. Similar results were obtained for water solubility of black
mulberry powders produced with maltodextrin (from 77% to 85%)
(Fazaeli, Emam-Djomeh, Ashtari & Omid, 2012). Water solubility
was not affected by core to EC ratio or EC composition, which may
be explained by both the low content of insoluble solids in centrifuged jussara pulp and the high solubility of the carbohydrates
employed in the present study.
Hygroscopicity values ranged from 10.7% to 14.3% (Table 3),
indicating that jussara pulp microparticles may be considered as
slightly hygroscopic, preventing solubilization and softening of the
encapsulating agent and consequent exposure of the core to atmospheric oxygen (Silva, Stringheta et al., 2013). Tonon, Brabet, Pallet
et al. (2009) observed higher hygroscopicity values for ac¸ pulp
microparticles produced with maltodextrin 20 DE (19.7%).
EC composition affected the hygroscopicity of jussara microparticles, with the lowest values observed for runs #1 (10.7%) and #18
(11.5%), in which higher proportions of OSA starch were used. In
contrast, the highest hygroscopicity were observed for runs #31
(14.3%), #19 (14.1%) and #24 (13.7%), for which higher core to EC
ratios and higher proportions of maltodextrin and specially inulin
were used (Table 3). These results may be explained by differences
in chemical structure of the carbohydrates used in the study. While

OSA starch has an amphiphilic character, showing lower water
absorbing ability (Silva, Stringheta et al., 2013), inulin is considered as highly hygroscopic due to its branched structure, which
facilitates hydrogen bonding and thus moisture absorption from
ambient air (Akalin & Eris¸ir, 2008). Similar, to our results, jabuticaba peel extract (Silva, Stringheta et al., 2013) and propolis (Silva,
Fonseca et al., 2013) microparticles produced with OSA starch by
spray drying showed lower hygroscopicity than those produced
with gum arabic and maltodextrin. Moreover, when microparticles
were produced at 0.5 or 1.0 core to EC ratio, the EC probably hurdled the highly hygroscopic sugars present in jussara pulp (Phisut,
2012).
Faster wettability is a desirable feature for the development
of instant products (Ghosal, Indira & Bhattacharya, 2010). EC
composition influenced wettability of jussara pulp microparticles,
which was inversely associated with hygroscopicity. Jussara pulp
microparticles produced solely with OSA starch (run #1) showed
the slowest wettability (267 s), approximately 4-fold slower that
the average wettability of the remainder microparticles (ranging from 41 s to 91 s) (Table 3). Thus, we considered that these
microparticles produced with OSA starch as the only coating material were unsuitable for producing food colorants. This behavior
may be justified by the lipophilic character of OSA starch, as previously mentioned for hygroscopicity. Fernandes, Borges and Brotel
(2014) also observed higher wettability values for rosemary oil
microencapsulated with OSA starch (254 s) when compared to a
mixture of inulin and gum arabic (93 s).
The fastest wettability of runs #28 (43 s) and #31 (41 s) suggest that using high core to EC ratios improve the instantaneous
characteristics of microparticles, which may be explained by their
agglomeration (Fig. 3), as well as larger mean particle size (Table 2),
leading to more spaces between particles and thus easing the penetration of water into the pores (Ghosal et al., 2010). The inverse
association between wettability and mean particle size was also
observed for blackberry microparticles produced with maltodextrin (82 s/49 ␮m), gum arabic (134 s/11 ␮m) and their mixture
(116 s/28 ␮m) (Ferrari et al., 2012).
Morphological characterization of selected jussara pulp
microparticles (Fig. 3) showed continuous surfaces with no fis-

507

Table 3
Water solubility, hygroscopicity and wettability of jussara pulp microparticles
selected from the experimental design of Table 1.a
Run

Solubilityb (%)

Hygroscopicityc (%)

Wettabilityd (s)

1
9
18
19
24
28
31

83.1 ± 4.2
76.8 ± 1.21
77.6 ± 2.91
82.0 ± 0.71
80.8 ± 0.11
85.0 ± 1.91
80.7 ± 0.11

10.7 ± 0.4
12.0 ± 0.32,3
11.5 ± 0.01,2
14.1 ± 0.14
13.7 ± 0.03,4
12.6 ± 0.63
14.3 ± 0.04

267 ± 154
79 ± 13
91 ± 113
77 ± 12,3
86 ± 73
43 ± 11,2
41 ± 41

1

1

a
Results expressed as mean ± SD for triplicates. Different superscript Arabic
numerals in each column indicate significant difference between jussara pulp
microparticles (Oneway ANOVA followed by Tukey test, p < 0.05).
b
Percent mass of microparticles solubilized in water.
c
Mass gain of microparticles stored for 7 days at 75% relative humidity and room
temperature.
d

Time required for microparticles to be visually completely wet.

sures, cracks or interruptions, which is essential to ensure low
gas permeability and good protection of anthocyanins. In general,
microparticles’ showed spherical shape and various sizes independently of EC composition and core to EC ratio. The surface of
microparticles produced with 0.5 and 1.0 core to EC ratios presented roughness, showing dents and slight invaginations (Fig. 3).
The observed surface roughness is characteristic of microparticles
produced by spray drying at low drying temperatures. In this case,
the microparticles surface remains moist and supple during the
drying process, so the particle deflates and shrivels as it cools down
(Tonon et al., 2008). Microparticles produced with 2.0 core to EC
ratio and high proportions of inulin showed a smoother surface
(Fig. 3), possibly due to the higher molecular flexibility of this
carbohydrate, which shows a multitude of possible conformations
(Mensink, Frijlink, Maarschalk & Hinrichs, 2015).
Agglomerated jussara pulp microparticles were visible in all
selected conditions, being more loosely bound for those produced
with 0.5 and 1.0 core to EC ratios. Formation of link bridges between
microparticles and more intense agglomeration was observed in
microparticles produced with 2.0 core to EC ratio, especially when
inulin was used (runs #24 and #28) (Fig. 3).
From each core to EC ratio, we selected a single condition run for
the stability test at 50 ◦ C. Run #9 was selected over run #1 based
on their wettability values. The choice between runs #18 and #19
was based on their hygroscopicity, anthocyanins content and L*
value, all of them favoring the former. Among microparticles produced at 2.0 core to EC ratio, run #28 was excluded due to their
intense agglomeration. Finally, the choice between runs #24 and
#31 was based on their EC composition, favoring the former due to
its higher proportion of inulin, which shows dietary fiber actions,
among other health related benefits (Ranawana, 2008).

3.3. Stability of jussara pulp microparticles during storage at
50 ◦ C
Stability of color, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity (FRAP
and TEAC) of the jussara pulp microparticles stored at 50 ◦ C either
unprotected and protected from light for 38 days are shown in
Fig. 4. As a general trend, jussara microparticles color became
slightly lighter and less red during storage, although their anthocyanin contents and FRAP values did not change. AA measured by
TEAC assay, on the other hand, decreased during storage, especially in early stages. Moreover, light protected and unprotected
jussara microparticles showed the same behavior for all the variables investigated. These results suggest that, in general, EC were
effective in protecting jussara pulp from degrading conditions.
The color of all three microparticles changed after 38 days of
storage at 50 ◦ C, independently of light exposure (Table 4). Based on


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E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

Fig. 3. Scanning electron micrographs (2000 × magnification) of jussara pulp microparticles produced with mixtures of OSA starch, inulin and maltodextrin at different core
to encapsulating carbohydrates (EC) ratios, according to the experimental design shown in Table 1.

Table 4
Instrumental color (L*a*b*), total color differences ( E*), anthocyanins contents and antioxidant activity (FRAP and TEAC assays) at t = 0 and t = 38 days in jussara pulp
microparticles produced with OSA starch (OSA), inulin (I) and maltodextrin (M) at different core to encapsulating carbohydrates (EC) ratios, stored at 50 ◦ C unprotected and
protected from light.a
Component

0.5 core to EC ratio1/6 OSA, 1/6 I and 2/3 M

1.0 core to EC ratio 2/3 OSA, 1/6 I and 1/6 M

2.0 core to EC ratio

t=0

t=0

t=0

t = 38 days
Unprotected

L*
a*
b*
E*
Anthocyanins (mg/g)
FRAP (␮mol Fe+2 /g)
TEAC(␮mol Trolox/g)

35.8
22.9
0.7
11.6
696.9
382.8

*

36.0 (1%)

21.9* (−5%)
0.5* (−31%)
1.1
12.8
658.4
263.9* (−31%)

Protected
*#

34.7 (−3%)
21.7*# (−5%)
0.08*# (−89%)
1.8#
12.3
676.7
259.0* (−32%)

t = 38 days
Unprotected

28.9
20.6
1.6
10.8
1290.1
586.9

*

30.9 (7%)
20.9* (1%)
1.0* (−37%)
2.1
11.4
1257.8
384.1* (−35%)

Protected
*#

29.9 (3%)
20.7*# (1%)
1.0*# (−34%)
1.1#
11.9* (10%)
1388.0
406.9* (−31%)

t = 38 days
Unprotected

23.6
16.1
1.6
13.8
1568.1
882.9

1/1 I

*

26.1 (11%)
15.4* (−4%)
0.8* (−47%)
2.7
13.7
1233.0* (−21%)
340.1* (−61%)

Protected
24.7*# (5%)
14.2*# (−12%)
0.8* (−47%)
2.3#
14.1
1381.1* (−11%)
357.9* (−69%)

a
Means at t = 38 days with a superscript asterisk are significantly different from their corresponding sample at t = 0. Relative change in relation to t = 0 is shown in
parenthesis. Means at t = 38 days protected from light with a superscript hashtag are significantly different from the corresponding unprotected sample (ANOVA, Tukey’s
post-test; p < 0.05). Differences for E* between unprotected and protected sample were evaluated by unpaired t test (p < 0.05). All results presented a coefficient of variation
lower than 8.0%.


E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

509

Fig. 4. Stability of color (L*, a* and E*), anthocyanins contents and antioxidant activity (FRAP and TEAC assays) of jussara pulp microparticles produced with mixtures of
OSA starch, inulin and maltodextrin at core to encapsulating carbohydrates ratios of 0.5 ( ), 1.0 ( ) and 2.0 ( ) stored at 50 ◦ C unprotected (dashed line and open symbols)
and protected (full line and closed symbols) from light for 38 days.

E* values, which correspond to the total color difference between
initial and final time points, microparticles showed slight color
differences during storage at 50 ◦ C, as well as due to light exposure (Table 4). Microparticles produced with 1.0 and 2.0 core to
EC ratios which were protected from light showed lower E* than
those exposed to light. On the other hand, microparticles produced
with 0.5 core showed the opposite behavior, that is higher E*
values when protected from light. The highest losses in original
total color ( E* = 2.5, on average) were observed for microparticles produced at 2.0 core to EC ratio. According to Ĩbon, Castellar,
Alacid and López (2009), 0.0< E*<1.5 indicate undistinguishable
color differences by the human eye. Color differences may be discernible when 1.5< E*<5.0 and become evident when E*>5.0. All
three microparticles showed E* < 2.7, indicating that instrumental color differences of the microparticles after 38 days of storage
at 50 ◦ C would be hardly distinguished by consumers.
Anthocyanins are labile in aqueous solutions, but their stability may be increased when handled in powder form (Chandra,
Nair & Iezzoni, 1993), depending on processing and storage conditions, as well as the presence of other components. Anthocyanins
from jussara pulp remained unchanged after 38 days of storage
at 50 ◦ C even under light exposure (Table 4). Phenolic compounds may form complexes with carbohydrates (Shahidi & Naczk,
2004, nullChapter); the complexing of the flavylium cation of
anthocyanins with carbohydrates such as dextrins prevent their
transformation to other less stable forms (Chandra, Nair & Iezzoni,
1993). This interaction involves the carbinol pseudo-base form of
anthocyanins, leading to color loss upon complexing with carbohydrates, possibly explaining the apparent divergence between
anthocyanins stability and color change in jussara microparticles.
After 38 days of storage, AA of microparticles produced at 0.5
and 1.0 core to EC ratios did not change when assessed by FRAP
assay and decreased on average 32% when assessed by TEAC assay.

For microparticles produced at 2.0 core to EC ratio, AA values
decreased, on average, 16% and 65% when assessed by FRAP and
TEAC assays, respectively. The lower stability of these microparticles may be explained by the insufficient formation of a protective
layer around the core, as well as to their physicochemical attributes

(higher hygroscopicity) and morphology (formation of agglomerates). Since anthocyanins were not degraded during storage, loss
of AA may be due to degradation of non-anthocyanin phenolics
present in the jussara pulp, such as hydroxybenzoic, hydroxycinnamic and hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives (Inada et al.,
2015).
Just after being produced, microparticles at 2.0 core to EC ratio
showed the best combination of technological (especially dark
purple color), functional (anthocyanins contents and antioxidant
activity) and physicochemical attributes (especially wettability).
However, these microparticles were the least stable and therefore not suitable for use as food colorants. After 38 days of storage
at accelerated degrading conditions (50 ◦ C and light exposure),
microparticles produced at 1.0 core to EC ratio with 2/3 OSA starch,
1/6 inulin and 1/6 maltodextrin (run #18) showed a better combination of desired properties, especially color and antioxidant
activity, when compared to those produced at 0.5 core to EC ratio
with 1/6 OSA starch, 1/6 inulin and 2/3 maltodextrin (run #9).

4. Conclusions
From the 33 experimental runs initially analyzed, seven were
selected based on high anthocyanins contents, desirable color (dark
purple), low particle size dispersion and high antioxidant activity. From these seven runs, three were further selected based on
physicochemical attributes (wettability and hygroscopicity), morphology and prebiotic potential of the EC (presence of inulin). After
subjecting the three final runs to a stability test at accelerated
degrading conditions (50 ◦ C, exposed or not to light), the jussara
pulp microparticles produced at 1.0 core to EC ratio with 2/3 OSA
starch, 1/6 inulin and 1/6 maltodextrin was finally selected as it
showed the best combination of desired properties (color, anthocyanins contents and antioxidant activity). The microparticles

produced at this condition is a value-added jussara pulp product,
which may be applied as colorant in a variety of foods, such as powdered beverages, dairy and bakery products and desserts, whilst
adding prebiotic fiber and potentially bioactive anthocyanins.


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E.C.Q. Lacerda et al. / Carbohydrate Polymers 151 (2016) 500–510

Acknowledgments
The financial support of Brazilian funding agencies (FAPERJ,
CNPq and CAPES) is greatly acknowledged. We also thank Prof.
Anna Paola Pierucci and the staff at DAFEE Laboratory (Nutrition
Institute, UFRJ) for assisting with spray drying experiments, and Mr.
George Braille (Juc¸ Co., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) for kindly supplying
the jussara samples.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in
the online version, at />093.
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