Inclusion Complex of Resveratrol with γ-Cyclodextrin as a Functional Ingredient for Lemon Juices

Microencapsulated resveratrol (RSV) is a pertinent ingredient in functional foods to be used in the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. Gamma-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) was evaluated for its RSV inclusion ability. Inclusion procedures comprised mixing equal concentration of an aqueous solution of γ-CD with an ethanol solution of RSV and freeze-drying to obtain a solid material. Solid-state characterization by vibrational spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) confirmed the formation of the γ-CD·RSV complex in a ratio of 1:1. PXRD suggested that cyclodextrin molecules in the complex are stacked in infinite channels holding the RSV inside, with a wide inter-channel space where 14 water molecules are retained. Fresh lemon juices supplemented with 0.625 mg/mL of RSV in its free (RSV-juice) or complexed (γ-CD·RSV-juice) form were stored along 28 days under dark and room temperature or at 4 °C. Initially, the RSV level in γ-CD·RSV-juice was about nine times higher than in RSV-juice (43.1% and 4.8%, respectively), suggesting that the RSV complexation promoted its solubility in the lemon juice, a fact that was still noticed after 28 days of storage. Moreover, regardless the fact that the antioxidant capacity was similar among the juices, the loss of antiradical ABTS•+ capacity in γ-CD·RSV-juice was reduced compared to that of the RSV-juice. Overall, this study allowed concluding that γ-CD can serve as a carrier of RSV, promoting its solubility and eventually protecting its antioxidant stability in lemon juices for at least 28 days.