PRODUCTION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SPRAY-DRIED MICROCAPSULES CONTAINING AN AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF Campomanesia xanthocarpa

Campomanesia xanthocarpa, locally known as guavira pytã, is a native South American fruit containing phenolic compounds of potential interest for the development of functional food ingredients. However, the incorporation of aqueous fruit extracts into food products may be limited by their susceptibility to environmental conditions and handling difficulties. Spray-drying microencapsulation represents an alternative for converting these extracts into powders with suitable technological properties. This study aimed to produce and physicochemically characterize spray-dried microcapsules containing an aqueous extract of C. xanthocarpa using maltodextrin as wall material. Whole freeze-dried fruits were used to prepare the aqueous extract. Three independent batches were formulated with 20% (w/v) maltodextrin DE 10 and processed in a spray dryer at inlet and outlet air temperatures of 160 ± 5 °C and 80 ± 5 °C, respectively. The resulting powders were evaluated for moisture, water activity, solubility, instrumental color, morphology, particle size distribution, surface-associated phenolics, and encapsulation efficiency. Spray drying produced a fine, homogeneous, light colored powder without visible agglomeration. The microcapsules showed a moisture content of 3.98 ± 0.20%, water activity of 0.30 ± 0.03, and solubility of 78.10 ± 0.03%. Scanning electron microscopy revealed predominantly spherical or irregular particles with continuous surfaces and without deep cracks or evident pores. The equivalent particle diameters D10, D50, and D90 were 3.2, 6.8, and 14.3 µm, respectively, indicating a micrometric and relatively heterogeneous particle size distribution. Encapsulation efficiency reached 89.02 ± 1.16%, while surface-associated phenolics represented 10.98 ± 1.16% of the total phenolic content measured in the powder. The low moisture and water activity, together with the continuous particle surfaces and high encapsulation efficiency, indicate that maltodextrin DE 10 was suitable for producing a powdered C. xanthocarpa extract. These findings demonstrate the technological feasibility of obtaining spray-dried microcapsules from this native fruit and support their subsequent evaluation as an intermediate ingredient for food applications.