The increased demand for functional food with added health benefits is directing industrial procedures toward more sustainable production of naturally added bioactive compounds. The objective of this research was to investigate the potential of bioactive compounds from rosemary extract obtained using high-voltage electrical discharge as a green extraction method, for microencapsulation as a protective method for future application in functional food. Four types of microparticles were made via the ionic gelation method using alginate (Alg), zein (Z), and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) biopolymers and were analyzed considering the physicochemical properties. The diameter of dry microparticles ranged from 651.29 to 1087.37 μm. The shape and morphology analysis of microparticles showed that the obtained microparticles were quite spherical with a granular surface. The high encapsulation efficiency was obtained with a loading capacity of polyphenols up to 11.31 ± 1.47 mg GAE/g (Alg/Z microparticles). The microencapsulation method showed protective effects for rosemary polyphenols against pH changes during digestion. Specifically, the addition of both zein and HPMC to calcium-alginate resulted in microparticles with a prolonged release for better availability of polyphenols in the intestine. This research background indicates that the release of rosemary extract is highly dependent on the initial biopolymer composition with high potential for further functional food applications.
Keywords: alginate; bioactive compounds; high-voltage electrical discharge; hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; microencapsulation; rosemary extract; zein.