Proximate analysis of the high phytochemical activity of encapsulated Mandai cempedak (Artocarpus champeden) vinegar prepared with maltodextrin and chitosan as wall materials

Abstract

Background: Mandai cempedak vinegar (MCV) is a fermented vinegar produced from the inner skin of cempedak (Artocarpus champeden), which contains antioxidants classified as flavonoids, phenols, and tannins. These bioactive compounds are sensitive to heat and prone to oxidative damage. Therefore, an encapsulation process is proposed to protect the bioactive compounds. This study aimed to design a potential scaling-up formulation of spray-dried encapsulated MCV based on Total Soluble Solid (TSS) with the addition of maltodextrin and chitosan, followed by determining the nutrition and phytochemical values of the formulation. Methods: The formulation employed maltodextrin to achieve TSS of 15, 20, and 25 ºBrix as the primary wall material treatment factor. The second factor was chitosan as auxiliary wall material at 1, 2, and 3% (w/w of maltodextrin). Products were spray-dried at 100 ºC inlet temperature and 80 ºC outlet temperature. Analyses of nutrition, flavonoid, phenol, and tannin were conducted in triplicate for each encapsulated product.  Results: The 15 ºBrix of TSS from maltodextrin with 1% chitosan emerged as the best-encapsulating material, giving 7.54% moisture, 0.75% ash, 0.42% protein, 0.35% fat, and 90.94% carbohydrate content, resulting in a phytochemical activity equivalent to 9.13 mg Catechin Equivalent kg-1, 69.61 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent kg-1, and 25.04 mg Tannic Acid Equivalent kg-1. Compared to maltodextrin, the chitosan generally contributed less to the proximate, flavonoid, phenol, and tannin content of the encapsulated MCV. Conclusions: The best formulation contained maltodextrin at 15 ºBrix of TSS and 1% chitosan. Maintaining optimum TSS was a key to producing consistent encapsulated MCV with high phytochemical activity.