A decade overview and prospect of spray drying encapsulation of bioactives from fruit products: Characterization, food application and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

The demand for value-added and/or functional food products has skyrocketed in recent years. Fruits and fruit products are of the best sources of bioactive compounds, which provide a variety of health advantages. Spray drying encapsulation is a common and cost-effective method for protecting a variety of bioactive compounds against degradation, controlling or delaying release, and masking unpleasant tastes or odors. This article summarizes the findings and research (almost 70 studies) on encapsulation by spray drying from fruit products over the last decade. The composition and type of carriers (wall materials) were important in the encapsulation and maintenance of physicochemical, structural, and functional aspects of microcapsules, according to the findings of a decade of research. Furthermore, the combination of polysaccharide–protein-based wall components as well as the higher wall/core ratio resulted in higher encapsulation efficiency as shown in some studies. Bioactive-microcapsules have been used in food products for enrichment, fortification, coloring, and stability enhancement against oxidation and microbiological proliferation, with promising results. Encapsulation by spray drying was also tested in vitro gastrointestinal settings, however more research is needed to assure low toxicity and improved bioaccessibility. The use of spray drying to microencapsulate bioactive compounds in fruit products could open up new possibilities for the controlled delivery of beneficial compounds to the host, as well as a potentially cost-effective method to prevent and/or treat a wide range of diseases. However, in order to turn these technologies into commercial processes and products, scale-up, regulatory, safety, and economic concerns are critical.