Physicochemical Characterization and Oxidative Stability of Microencapsulated Crude Palm Oil by Spray Drying

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of crude palm oil microencapsulation by spray drying to preserve the oil’s characteristics such as carotenoid content, antioxidant activity, fatty acid, and peroxide value and improve its technological process as thermal stability and oxidative stability for possible use as a food fortifier. Capsules were generated from emulsions with different wall material combinations and then dried at 180 °C. The best wall material combination was cassava starch with gum arabic because it provided good encapsulation efficiency and yield and moisture content. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicated that the microcapsules had satisfactory thermal stability. The fatty acid profile and color parameters did not change with oil microencapsulation. However, total carotenoids, antioxidant activity, and peroxide value changed with encapsulation. In conclusion, crude palm oil remains an important source of bioactive compounds, such as pro-vitamin A, which have various functions in the body and these microcapsules can be used on food industry fortification.