OPTIMIZATION OF THE ENCAPSULATION PROCESS TO MAXIMIZE THE YIELD AND TECHNOFUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF HUASAÍ EXTRACT (Euterpe precatoria Mart.)

Açaí, traditionally associated with the Euterpe oleracea species, is recognized worldwide as a "superfood" due to its high content of bioactive compounds, primarily anthocyanins and flavonoids, responsible for its antioxidant capacity and potential health benefits. However, in this study, we addressed the use of another, less explored variety: Euterpe precatoria, native to the Amazon region and a staple in the diets of numerous local communities. Despite presenting nutritional and functional profiles comparable to, and even superior to, those of Euterpe oleracea, Euterpe precatoria has received less scientific and technological attention, highlighting the importance of developing processes that improve the stability and functionality of its active compounds to facilitate its industrial application and increase its value in the food sector. The objective was to optimize the parameters of the açaí extract microencapsulation process to maximize yield, technological and functional properties, and stability of the final product. The extract was obtained from whole açaí pulp by extraction with absolute ethanol and water. Microencapsulation was performed by spray drying, using gum arabic and maltodextrin as encapsulating materials. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to analyze the combined effect of drying temperature (125–145 °C) and biopolymer proportions on the key parameters: yield, solubility, hygroscopicity, and antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH). The optimized conditions allowed obtaining microparticles with a yield of 70.68%, high solubility (92.99%), low hygroscopicity, and an excellent anthocyanin content (72.88 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/100 g DM). A high antioxidant capacity and spherical morphology with a low polydispersity index were observed. Furthermore, the biopolymers used indicated that the use of higher proportions of maltodextrin in the encapsulating mixture favored anthocyanin retention compared to the use of gum arabic alone. The application of RSM allowed the determination of optimal encapsulation parameters, validating significant improvements in the stability and functionality of the encapsulated açaí extract. The results obtained surpass previous reports regarding yield and retention of bioactive compounds, highlighting the importance of adjusting the composition of encapsulating agents to increase process effectiveness. Optimizing the encapsulation process through spray drying and the combined use of gum arabic and maltodextrin proved effective in increasing the yield and technological and functional properties of the açaí extract, opening up new possibilities for its application in the food industry.