Encapsulation of Lansium domesticum Leaves Extract: Advancing Polyphenol Stability and Antioxidant Activity

Lansium domesticum, commonly known as duku in Indonesia, is a plant rich in bioactive compounds, particularly phenol and flavonoid, which shows potent antioxidant properties. However, these compounds are highly susceptible to degradation under high-temperature conditions, limiting the stability and effectiveness. To address the limitation, encapsulation technology offers a promising method to protect bioactive compounds from degradation, enhancing the stability and potential applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the most effective encapsulation method for producing microcapsules from L. domesticum leaves extract. The extraction process was carried out using the sonication method with ethyl acetate as the solvent and maltodextrin as the coating material. A total of four different encapsulation methods were evaluated, namely freeze-drying, microwave oven-drying, convection oven-drying, as well as a combination of freeze-drying and microwave oven-drying. The results showed that encapsulation method significantly influenced the yield, moisture content, particle size, phenol, and flavonoid content, including antioxidant activity of microcapsules. Among the tested methods, freeze-drying produced the highest quality microcapsules, with a total phenol content of 9.04 ± 0.3 mg AGE/g, total flavonoid content of 33.36 ± 1.8 mg QE/g, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of 46.86 ± 2.6%. The results were in with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). By enhancing the stability and bioavailability of natural antioxidants, this study contributed to the development of sustainable functional foods, nutraceuticals, and natural-based pharmaceuticals