Encapsulation of betacyanin extract from red dragon fruit peel with maltodextrin and inulin: Storage stability and simulated gastrointestinal digestion.

Betacyanins are bioactive pigments found in red dragon fruit peels with potential health benefits, but their stability and bioaccessibility are low. This study aimed to investigate the impact of using dietary fiber inulin (IN) combined with malrodextrin (MD) as wall materials for the encapsulation of betacyanin on its physicochemical properties, storage stability, and in vitro release behavior. Different concentrations of MD and IN were tested at 30% MD + 10% IN (T1), 20% MD + 20% IN (T2), 10% MD + 30% IN (T3), and 40% MD (control). The results showed that the combination of MD and IN reduced the moisture content and water activity, increased the drying yield, and improved the hygroscopy and solubility of betacyanin extract. Furthermore, the T3 combination showed the highest encapsulation efficiency, betacyanin (BTC), phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC), as well as antioxidant activity. FTIR analysis confirmed the effective encapsulation of betacyanin. The T1 combination exhibited the lowest degradation constant (k) and the longest stability of betacyanin storage half-life (t 1/2 = 99 weeks). Additionally, the combination of MD and IN effectively improved the stability of betacyanins during simulated gastrointestinal digestion, improving the bioaccessibility of betacyanin with higher concentrations of IN (T3), resulting in the higher bioaccessibility of betacyanin (57.11%). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the use of a combination of MD and IN as dietary fiber wall materials can improve the stability and bioaccessibility of betacyanin extract, ultimately leading to its wider utilization and potential health benefits as functional natural food colorants. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]