Sodium caseinate and OSA-modified starch as carriers for the encapsulation of lutein using spray drying to improve its water solubility and stability

Lutein is a fat-soluble substance with plentiful unsaturated carbon-carbon double bonds in the chemical structure. Spray-drying formulations of lutein emulsions stabilised by a mixture of sodium caseinate (CS) and octenyl succinic anhydride-modified starch (OS) yield lutein microcapsules. The yield (19.3-65.8%), encapsulation efficiency (74.7-82.9%), moisture (0.92-3.50%), wettability (226.8-392.4 s) and solubility (65.3-95.7%) were obtained in this study. The formulations with CS:OS (7:3) presented the excellent encapsulation efficiency (82.9%), glass transition temperatures (126.77 degrees C) and retention rate at 50 degrees C (80.51%), 25 degrees C (82.49%), and 4 degrees C (90.68%), and in UV light (75.44%) and lightness (80.40%) after 15 days. Based on the study, encapsulation would be an alternative for generating high value-added products and could promote lutein's use as a functional ingredient with a 'clean label'.