Microencapsulated beetroot juice as a potential source of betalain

Red beet is a rich source of betalain pigments, which can protect against age-related diseases. Betalain pigment can be used as a natural additive for food, cosmetics and drugs in the form of beet juice as well as beet powder. Processing stability in food is the most important issue nowadays. Microencapsulation of pigments creates stable powders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of carrier type on stability of beetroot pigments. Raw material used in the study was 100% beetroot juice. Low-crystallised maltodextrin, Arabic gum and a mixture of both (1:1) were used as carriers. Drying was carried out in a spray-drier at a disc speed of 39,000 rpm and a solution flux rate of 0.3 and 0.8 × 10− 6 m3 s− 1. The inlet air temperature was 160 °C. In powders physical properties such as hygroscopicity, dry matter solubility and size, which can influence future application, were tested. The highest violet pigment content was observed in powders based on Arabic gum, but the content of yellow pigment was low. Reverse results were seen for microparticles with maltodextrin. Moreover, for a longer period of time microcapsules of Arabic gum and beetroot pigments were stable, because of their lower hygroscopicity in comparison to maltodextrin. Nevertheless, the authors recommend beetroot pigments obtained with maltodextrin as natural food pigments for food supplements.