Microencapsulation of Purple Mashua Extracts Using Andean Tuber Starches Modified by Octenyl Succinic Anhydride.

This work is aimed at optimising the spray drying conditions of the phenolic extracts of purple mashua microencapsulated with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) Andean tuber starches. Purple mashua extracts were obtained and spray dried using native and OSA starches of yellow oca, pink oca, and yellow olluco (140°C, 4% starch). The powders obtained were analysed by encapsulation efficiency of anthocyanin (EE), total phenol content, and antioxidant capacity to select the best starch for optimisation purposes. OSA pink oca starch was selected because the obtained powder presented the highest EE. The spray drying conditions optimised were obtained using a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) and response surface methodology. The encapsulant proportion of OSA pink oca starch (2-12%) and the inlet drying temperature (IDT, 120-160°C) were used as factors of the design. The optimised spray drying condition was 160°C IDT and 2% encapsulant; this condition maximised the EE, total phenol content, antioxidant capacity, and solubility and minimised the water activity and hygroscopicity of the powder. The OSA pink oca starch could be used as an encapsulating agent of phenolic extracts because it can produce powder with high antioxidant capacity and high EE.