Effect of Agave Fructans and Maltodextrin on Zn2+ Chlorophyll Microencapsulation by Spray Drying

Spray-drying technology is a suitable process for large-scale production of various advanced materials. This study describes the effect of the concentration (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%) of novel carrier agents, agave fructans (FOS) and maltodextrin (MD), in a chlorophyll extract spray-drying process on colour, antioxidant activity, and stability. A pilot plant was employed with a spray-dryer feed flow rate of 13% and an atomisation level of 28000 rpm. The air inlet and outlet temperatures were 180 and 80°C, respectively. A MD concentration of 0.5% was enough to obtain a chemically and physiochemically stable encapsulated chlorophyll powder. High inlet air temperatures reduced the chlorophyll content from 18 to 6 mg/g; high concentrations of the carrier agent also decreased the chlorophyll content. The results showed that, under conditions of low inlet temperature and concentration, both wall materials were efficient in microencapsulating chlorophyll for potential use in the food industry.