Orange terpenes, carvacrol and α-tocopherol encapsulated in maltodextrin and sucrose matrices via batch mixing

• Orange terpenes, carvacrol and tocopherol were encapsulated in a batch mixing process.
• The active ingredients had no plasticization effect on the carbohydrate matrices.
• Increasing vapour pressure decreased the retention of carvacrol and orange terpenes.
• Various process conditions had no effect on the retention of tocopherol.
• solid state properties of the matrices were not affected by different cooling rates.

Orange terpenes, carvacrol and tocopherol were used as model substances for flavours, essential oils and lipophilic liquid (bio)-active ingredients (AI). They were encapsulated via a batch mixing process in various carbohydrate matrices containing maltodextrin and sucrose. Plasticizing properties of the AIs, independently from their concentration (4.5–8.8%), on the matrices were not obtained. Furthermore the AIs did not affect the solid state properties, especially the crystalline content, of the carbohydrate matrix. An AI retention between 6% and 100% correlated inversely with the vapour pressure of the pure AI. At a mixing time of 5 min a vapour pressure of higher than 70 kPa led to a almost completely loss of the AI. The AI retention and the solid state of the matrices were not affected by applying different cooling conditions. These results can be used to adjust the parameters of an extrusion process to receive high AI retention.