Solomakou Nikoletta, Fotiou Dimitrios, Tsachouridou Efthymia, Goula Athanasia M
Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Foods. 2025 Jul 30;14(15):2684. doi: 10.3390/foods14152684.
This study evaluated and compared two encapsulation techniques-co-crystallization and ionic gelation-for stabilizing bioactive components derived from lavender distillation residues. Utilizing aqueous ethanol extraction (solid residues) and concentration (liquid residues), phenolic-rich extracts were incorporated into encapsulation matrices and processed under controlled conditions. Comprehensive characterization included encapsulation efficiency (Ef), antioxidant activity (AA), moisture content, hygroscopicity, dissolution time, bulk density, and color parameters (L*, a*, b*). Co-crystallization outperformed ionic gelation across most criteria, achieving significantly higher Ef (>150%) and superior functional properties such as lower moisture content (<0.5%), negative hygroscopicity (-6%), and faster dissolution (<60 s). These features suggested enhanced physicochemical stability and suitability for applications requiring long shelf life and rapid solubility. In contrast, extruded beads exhibited high moisture levels (94.0-95.4%) but allowed better control over morphological features. The work introduced a mild-processing approach applied innovatively to the valorization of lavender distillation waste through structurally stable phenolic delivery systems. By systematically benchmarking two distinct encapsulation strategies under equivalent formulation conditions, this study advanced current understanding in bioactive microencapsulation and offers new tools for developing functional ingredients from aromatic plant by-products.
本研究评估并比较了两种用于稳定薰衣草蒸馏残渣中生物活性成分的包封技术——共结晶法和离子凝胶法。利用乙醇水溶液萃取（固体残渣）和浓缩（液体残渣），将富含酚类的提取物纳入包封基质，并在受控条件下进行处理。全面表征包括包封效率（Ef）、抗氧化活性（AA）、水分含量、吸湿性、溶解时间、堆积密度和颜色参数（L*、a*、b*）。在大多数标准方面，共结晶法优于离子凝胶法，实现了显著更高的Ef（>150%）以及诸如更低的水分含量（<0.5%）、负吸湿性（-6%）和更快的溶解速度（<60秒）等优异的功能特性。这些特性表明其具有更高的物理化学稳定性，适用于需要长保质期和快速溶解性的应用。相比之下，挤出的珠子水分含量较高（94.0-95.4%），但能更好地控制形态特征。这项工作引入了一种温和的加工方法，通过结构稳定的酚类递送系统创新性地应用于薰衣草蒸馏废料的增值利用。通过在等效配方条件下系统地对两种不同的包封策略进行基准测试，本研究推进了当前对生物活性微胶囊化的理解，并为从芳香植物副产品开发功能成分提供了新工具。
