Microencapsulation of Betalain from Philippine Beta vulgaris as stable colorant powder

Safe and non-toxic natural colorants are now gaining a lot of interest due to the negative effects of synthetic colorants to the human body and to the environment. However, processing of natural colorants is highly dependent on several parameters, thus, making it unstable. Accordingly, this study aims to produce stable beetroot colorant powder through microencapsulating betalain pigment from Beta vulgaris by spray drying technique. The red beetroots (B. vulgaris) were subjected to aqueous solid-liquid extraction. The extract was then microencapsulated using 3%w/v and 5%w/v maltodextrin DE 12 through spray-drying technology with varying parameters such as inlet temperature and feed flow rate. The physicochemical properties of the beetroot colorant were evaluated including microbial analysis, heavy metal content, and dermal irritation test. Results showed that the lowest moisture content yielded at 160°C however, a significant reduction on betalain content followed. BRB2 colorant produced at 150°C, 15mL/min with 5% MD was found to be the most favorable condition given the set of parameters. After 8 weeks, there was no significant difference on the color of each colorant indicating its stability. Moreover, the microencapsulated betalain is deemed safe as it falls under the reference limits for its toxicity evaluation. Keywords: Microencapsulation; Betalain; Spray-drying; Beta vulgaris; Physicochemical properties; Safety assessment; Beet root; Natural colorant