Formulation and Physicochemical Characterization of Sea Buckthorn Oil Microcapsules

Abstract

This study was undertaken to develop microencapsulated powders of Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) seed oil utilizing maltodextrin and inulin as encapsulating wall materials through spray drying technology. The investigation primarily focused on elucidating the influence of wall material composition and processing parameters on the physicochemical, morphological, and structural characteristics of the resultant microcapsules. Optimal encapsulation conditions were established at a maltodextrin-to-inulin ratio of 1:2, with a total wall concentration of 15%, a core-to-wall ratio of 1:3, and an inlet temperature of 160°C. The optimized formulation demonstrated superior encapsulation efficiency alongside desirable physical stability and particle size distribution conducive to controlled release applications. FTIR spectral analysis further validated the successful entrapment of seed oil within the encapsulating matrix by confirming the presence of characteristic functional groups attributed to both core and wall constituents. Overall, the findings highlight the pivotal role of formulation and process optimization in the development of stable microencapsulated seed oil powders, which possess significant potential for application in functional food and nutraceutical products, particularly for enhancing oxidative stability, targeted delivery, and shelf-life extension of bioactive compounds.