Encapsulation Effectiveness and Storage Stability of Orange Peel Polyphenols in an oil-in-water Emulsion

Orange peel extract is frequently used as a food coloring ingredient and comprises bioactive substances like antioxidants. Recovering the phenolic chemicals that were isolated from orange peel and adding them to buttermilk as microencapsulated polyphenols to enhance their physical properties and extend the shelf life was the aim of this study. In this research, three different solvents (80% ethanol, 80% methanol, and water) were used to optimize the polyphenol extraction. The aqueous orange peel polyphenols (OPP) were encapsulated and supplemented in buttermilk. The ratios between OPP and gum acacia were 1:10, 2:10, and 3:10. The encapsulation efficiency (%EE) was evaluated for capsules while physicochemical and microbial parameters of buttermilk were evaluated during refrigeration storage at 4±1oC (fresh, 5, 10, and 15 days). In comparison to other solvent extracts, the research revealed that the ethanolic extract had the highest extraction yield (25.57%), total phenolic content (130.6 mg GAE/100g), total flavonoid content (85.26 mg/100g), and DPPH levels (79.32%). Increasing the amount of OPP and gum acacia ratio greatly enhanced the buttermilk's phenolic contents and antioxidant activity. The higher EE (95.20%) was observed when using OPP: wall materials at the ratio of 3:10. In this case, increasing the proportion of OPP caused the polyphenol-enriched buttermilk to have a lower pH, total viable count, and total coliform count and a higher titratable acidity and total soluble solids. When compared to the control sample, the color parameters were dramatically impacted. But the addition of OPP had no appreciable influence on the sensory qualities of buttermilk. This study evinced that a natural beverage made from buttermilk and microencapsulated OPP could be utilized as dairy drinks with high nutritional content and high acceptance.