Modulation of Hot Pepper Pungency by Melt Dispersion Encapsulation: Role of Wax Type on Microcapsule Structure, Bioactive Compound Content, and Antioxidant Activity

Abstract In this study, it was aimed to suppress pungency and obtain a new product by using carnauba, beeswax, and their mixture in the encapsulation of hot pepper oleoresin. Melt dispersion technique was used in production and physical, chemical, and structural analyzes of the obtained capsules were examined. The suppression of the pungency sensation was determined by sensory analysis, and it was determined that the beeswax-based capsule (BW50) was the most effective formulation in suppressing pungency perception (0.83). When looking at the sensory and Scoville Heat Units (SHU) results, there is a parallelism, and it can be stated that the pungency sensation is suppressed. The highest encapsulation efficiency values were observed in CW20 (91.92%), BW20 (90.69%), BC20 (86.92%), and CW30 (86.49%) capsules. When capsule bioactivities were examined, beeswax capsules showed the highest values, while carnauba wax capsules generally showed the lowest values. As expected, as the amount of oleoresin in the capsules increased, the capsules exhibited higher phenolic, flavonoid, carotenoid, and antioxidant activity scores. SEM, FT-IR, and TGA determined that the encapsulation process did not cause any adverse structural reactions in oleoresin. This study broadened the potential application of encapsulated hot pepper oleoresin in food formulations, particularly in functional foods and products intended for consumers sensitive to pungency, by converting it into a more tolerable form.