Spray-dried microencapsulation of anthocyanins from mangosteen fruit peel: Investigating the impact of pitahaya peel mucilage and/or maltodextrin as wall materials

Mangosteen fruit peel (MFP), a rich source of natural pigments, is an underutilized by-product with potential applications in the food industry. This study explores the development and characterization of spray-dried (SD) microcapsules containing MFP anthocyanin-rich extract obtained using aqueous ethanol as the core material and pitahaya peel mucilage (PPM) and/or maltodextrin (MD), as well as a 1:1 blend of both (PPM/MD) as the wall material. Three microcapsule formulations, SD-PPM, SD-MD, and SD-PPM/MD, were analyzed and compared using FTIR, particle size, SEM, total anthocyanin (TAC), and total polyphenol (TPC) content, as well as anthocyanin profile by UPLC-MS/MS and antioxidant activity (ORAC). The microcapsules exhibited desirable physicochemical properties with high TAC and ORAC , with a potential application in ice cream formulation, as evidenced by in vitro evaluations and color stability studies. This research underscores the feasibility of microencapsulating MFP pigment extracts as a novel source of natural colorants for food applications. • Spray drying microencapsulation of mangosteen fruit peel (MFP) pigments with pitahaya peel mucilage and/or maltodextrin. • Evaluation of powder under in vitro digestion and application in ice cream. • Highlighting potential MFP as source of natural pigments with antioxidant capacity. • Stability of powder under in vitro digestion and color retention in food matrix.