LAUSR

Strawberry pomace, waste of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) juice, is widely produced in food industry, and contains natural phenolic compounds. In this study, microencapsulation of phenolic powder obtained from strawberry pomace was achieved using different combinations of maltodextrin (MD) and gum arabic (GA). Microcapsules were prepared using a high‐speed homogenizer (HSH) and a high‐pressure homogenizer (HPH). During HPH, 50 and 70 MPa were chosen as pressures with different process cycles (3, 5, and 7). The objective of this research was to study the effects of different coatings, encapsulation techniques (HSH and HPH), and parameters (pressures and process cycles) on microcapsules. Microcapsules obtained after HPH had the highest encapsulation efficiencies. Process cycle had no effect in D[₅₀] and D[₃₂] values. Applying 70 MPa pressure resulted in higher efficiencies and smaller particle sizes. Microcapsules coated with MD:GA ratio of 6:4, prepared by HPH 70 MPa with 5 cycles had the highest efficiency. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) are widely used in food industry for juice production. It will be beneficial to develop a novel approach in the utilization of strawberry pomace as this waste contain natural phenolic compounds. Although it is crucial to consume natural phenolic compounds, they are susceptible to oxidants, light and heat. Encapsulation is an important method that is used to enhance the shelf life and stability of compounds and to prevent unwanted taste of food ingredients like phenolics. There is no study about comparison of microencapsulation of phenolic powder obtained from strawberry pomace, using different coating materials with different encapsulation techniques. The microcapsules obtained in this study are recommended to be incorporated into functional foods. The aim of the present research was to study the effects of different coating materials, different encapsulation techniques, and different parameters of high pressure homogenization on the efficiency and characterization of microcapsules of phenolic powder.