Encapsulation and characterization of raspberry juice powder for multiple applications in the food industry

This research focused on the value-adding potential of raspberry juice into shelf-stable polyphenolic-rich powder for potential application in the food industry. Raspberry juice obtained from raspberry fruits was encapsulated separately using gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MT), and waxy starch (WS) (1:10) w/v and freeze-dried to develop raspberry juice powders (RBJP). The powders were characterized based on their physicochemical, phytochemical, rheological, and antioxidative properties. RBJP produced with GA and WS exhibited a higher yield (12.70 and 11.34%, respectively), while MT yielded 9.73% powder. Solubility of the RBJP varied significantly, with MT and GA encapsulated powders exhibiting higher solubility (60.83 and 60.25%, respectively) compared to WS (54.52%). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences between the powders regarding their hygroscopicity (p>0.05). WS encapsulated RBJP appeared less red (a*=48.8) than MT (a*=56.86) and GA (a*=53.53). Encapsulating with GA and MT resulted in bulkier RBJP, with bulk density values of 60.25 and 60.83%, respectively, compared to waxy starch (54.52%). MT and WS encapsulated powders showed greater radical scavenging activity (RSA) (54.55 and 53.31%, respectively) compared to GA encapsulated powder (33.20%). Due to higher solubility, total soluble solids, total phenolic content, radical scavenging activity, and better colour properties, GA and MT formulated RBJP have greater multiple applications in the food industry.