Stability evaluation of gardenia yellow pigment in the presence of different antioxidants or microencapsulating agents.

The chemical instability of gardenia yellow pigment (GYP) limits its utilization in the food industry. In this study, the effects of different antioxidants (0.2% of tea polyphenols, sodium phytate, potassium citrate, and ascorbic acid) and microencapsulating agents (gum Arabic, maltodextrin, inulin, and gum Arabic/maltodextrin) on the degradation of GYP under different conditions (heat, light, and ferric iron) were evaluated. Then, the characteristic properties of microcapsules coated with gum Arabic/maltodextrin, gum Arabic/maltodextrin/tea polyphenols, maltodextrin, and maltodextrin/tea polyphenols were investigated. Furthermore, food models were simulated to evaluate the GYP stability of the microcapsules. The results showed that tea polyphenols, maltodextrin, and gum Arabic/maltodextrin significantly improved the GYP stability. Moreover, the presence of GYP in microcapsules was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, GYP-MD/TP possessed high thermal stability under different cooking methods. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Gardenia yellow pigment (GYP) is easily degraded under light and high-temperature conditions, which limits its applications in the food industry. This study will provide effective clues for expanding the practical applications of GYP in the natural pigment industry.