The Comparative Effects of Maltodextrin and Carrageenan on Encapsulation Characteristics of Moringa Leaves Herbal Drink Extract (

Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lamk.) leaves are a potential herbal beverage ingredient due to the bioactive compounds that show antioxidant properties. To protect the compounds, encapsulation has been proven effective as a suitable method. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of different ratios of maltodextrin and carrageenan as encapsulating agents on the physicochemical characteristics of encapsulated Moringa leaves herbal drink extract. Analysis was also carried out to determine the optimal ratio for producing high-quality encapsulates. The experiment used a randomized block design with 9 treatments of maltodextrin (M) and carrageenan ratio, comprising MK0 (10:0), MK1 (9.5:0.5), MK2 (9:1), MK3 (8.5:1.5), MK4 (8:2), MK5 (7:3), MK6 (6:4), MK7 (5:5), and MK8 (0:10). The results showed that maltodextrin-carrageenan ratio significantly influenced yield, solubility, color (L*, a*, b*), antioxidant activity (IC50), and sensory scores (color, aroma, taste, acceptability), while moisture content was not affected. The optimal ratio was 9:1 (MK2), with 95.95% yield, 4.24% moisture, 87.76% solubility, L* 77.95, a* 1.43, b* 22.25, IC50 69.24 ppm, and good sensory attributes. Microstructural analysis showed heterogeneous shapes and sizes, 5–90 μm in length and 2–53 μm in width. This ratio effectively produced encapsulated Moringa extract with desirable characteristics.