Encapsulation of polyphenol rich extract from rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) peel for application as dual functional ingredient in ice cream.

This study fabricated and applied spray-dried microcapsules of polyphenol-rich crude extract from rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) peel. The influence of encapsulant composition based on maltodextrin, rice starch, and polysaccharide gums on microcapsule physicochemical properties, encapsulation efficiency, and antioxidant activity were investigated. Applying rambutan peel polyphenol microcapsules as a functional ingredient in ice cream was also studied. An encapsulant system containing maltodextrin (49.85 wt%) and rice starch (49.85 wt%) in the presence of tamarind polysaccharide (0.3 wt%) was optimal for the fabrication of polyphenol microcapsules with favorable physicochemical characteristics, high encapsulation efficiency (∼85-87%), and high antioxidant activities (159.2 and 1793.2 mmol Trolox/g for DPPH and ABTS, respectively). Ice cream products added with 1 wt% rambutan peel polyphenol microcapsules enhanced the melting rate and antioxidant activity compared with the standard formula. Microcapsules of polyphenol-rich extract from rambutan peel showed promise as a dual functional ingredient, stabilizer and antioxidant, in ice cream which could also be used in other food and beverage products.