Effect of Flavor Loading Ratio on <i>d</i>-Limonene Release from Spray-Dried Powders

This study investigates the effect of flavor loading ratio (FL) on the retention and release properties of d-limonene encapsulated by spray drying using maltodextrin as a wall material. Three powders were prepared with different d-limonene loading ratios (50% (w/w), 40% (w/w) and 30% (w/w)). As the FL increased, d-limonene retention decreased, and the ratio of surface d-limonene increased. The release rate of d-limonene from the powders was found to increase with both higher storage temperature and FL. The release of d-limonene was analyzed separately for the surface oil, which evaporates immediately, and for the d-limonene encapsulated within the powder. The release rate constant and activation energy were determined by applying the Weibull model to the encapsulated d-limonene content. As the FL increased, the activation energy for d-limonene release from spray-dried powder also increased, suggesting that lower loading ratios provide more effective protection of flavor in the powders.