Encapsulation of β-carotene from sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) juice in furcellaran beads

The objective of this study was to prepare and evaluate furcellaran beads as an encapsulation material for β-carotene from sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) juice. Beads were prepared by ionotropic gelation. The influence of bead formulation factors on the particle size and firmness was investigated and the encapsulation efficiency of β-carotene in beads was studied. The nature of the cation, the polymer and cation concentration, and the proportion of volumes of the outer to the inner phase influenced the size and firmness of furcellaran beads. With increasing proportion of sea buckthorn juice in the formulae, firmness of furcellaran beads decreased. The encapsulation efficiency of β-carotene from sea buckthorn juice in furcellaran capsules was 97%. It suggested that furcellaran beads may be applied for β-carotene encapsulation.Industrial relevanceEncapsulation is a rapidly emerging area with multitude of applications in biotechnology, one of them being the controlled release of active biomolecules. The sensitivity to the environmental factors makes furcellaran a promising material for the controlled release of pharmaceuticals, (pro)biotica, and bioactive materials. Entrapment of these materials into the furcellaran beads by protecting them against degradation processes could solve the problem to incorporate health promoting ingredients into food without reducing their bioavailability or functionality. The change of pH in the digestive system could cause degradation of the beads followed by release of bioactive materials in the organism. It does create a basis for new product development in food industry. However, more work regarding to the improvements of bead stability and the release of entrapped materials are required.