Obtaining carotenoid encapsulates with polysaccharides carriers after pilot scale accelerated solvent extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction from industrial tomato by-product

This study aimed to develop carotenoid and antioxidant-rich encapsulates by spray drying from industrial tomato by-products to enhance their techno-functional properties by using green extraction techniques at a pilot plant scale. Tomato pomace by-products (peels and seeds) can be a source of functional ingredients for the industry since they are nutritionally valuable compounds, mainly carotenoids. Ultrasound assisted extraction (USAE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) can be highlighted as green techniques to extract key bioactive compounds. Encapsulation of biocompounds by polysaccharides as carries (maltodextrin, inulin and a mix of both (1:1)) and spray drying has been described as a good strategy to develop innovative functional foods. Comparative analyses were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value, carotenoid content, total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and techno-functional properties of the extracts, and encapsulates. The obtained results showed that encapsulates produced using USAE generally retained more carotenoids (mean values of 13-cis-β-carotene, all-trans- β-carotene and lycopene: 254, 152, and 775 mg lycopene eq per kg of fw sample) than those produced with ASE (mean values of 13-cis-β-carotene, all-trans- β-carotene and lycopene: 54, 54 and 218 mg lycopene eq per kg of fw sample), with notable differences in yield and dissolution capacity across the samples. Additionally, there was a significant impact on the TAC, TPC, and colour. Regarding carriers, the combination of inulin and maltodextrin performed better yield under the studied conditions. Future studies should explore higher inulin concentrations to optimize the technology, while reducing maltodextrin costs, and enhancing inulin's prebiotic properties.