A bioactive formulation based on Fragaria vesca L. vegetative parts: Chemical characterisation and application in κ-carrageenan gelatin

• Fragaria vesca infusion revealed high levels of flavonols and flavan-3-ols.
• The lyophilised infusion was successfully microencapsulated.
• An antioxidant formulation was developed by using k-carrageenan gelatin.

A bioactive formulation based on the vegetative parts of the wild strawberry, Fragaria vesca L., was developed by using a microencapsulated extract (lyophilised infusion form). For that purpose, a process based on an atomisation/coagulation technique with alginate as the wall material was applied. Among the tested hydromethanolic and aqueous extracts, both obtained from wild and commercial samples, the infusion of a wild species emerged as the most antioxidative one. The higher amounts of flavonols and flavan-3-ols found in the aqueous extracts seem to be responsible for this greater antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the developed bioactive formulation was applied in k-carrageenan gelatin, which was observed to preserve the antioxidant properties of the extract as compared with the free form. Thus, the antioxidant activity of the F. vesca L. vegetative parts was demonstrated, as well as the advantages of using microencapsulation to produce effective bioactive formulations.