ENCAPSULATION OF β-CAROTENE PRESENT IN SACHA INCHI OIL BY COMPLEX COACERVATION: FORMATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND RELEASE
Carboxymethylcellulose; Complex Coacervation; Lactoferrin; Proteins, Polysaccharides
Bioactive compounds (eg vitamins and oils) have relevance in the food industry, as they have health benefits, such as reduction of cardiovascular diseases. However, such compounds show sensitivity to external factors (heat, oxidation and alkalinity). An alternative is microencapsulation, which is conceptualized as the procedure of incorporating small particles that are surrounded by a protective layer, called wall material, that lines the matrix. Microencapsulation techniques such as complex coacervation, which consists of electrostatic interactions between two or more polymer solutions, which have opposite charges. There are many researches in this field, as well as the application of protein-polysaccharide interaction to microencapsulation. The formation of coacervate complexes aims to improve the functional characteristics of the biopolymers of origin. It thus becomes an important technological tool in the food or pharmaceutical industries for the encapsulation of bioactive agents. Thus the objective of this project will be to study the complex coacervation formed between carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and Lactoferrin (Lf) to microencapsulate β-Carotene present in Sacha Inchi oil. In this way, the present project intends to contribute to the achievement of new microencapsulation processes, aiming at increasing both the number of derivatives of these biomolecules processed in the country and the competitiveness of the sector with the insertion of new products in the market.