Preparation of prebiotic pectin-supplemented vitamin C microcapsules

Abstract

Microencapsulating vitamin C with dietary fibers and prebiotics can improve the storage, preservation, and marketing of vitamin C supplements. This research aimed to explore the feasibility of creating microcapsules using vitamin C, pectin, and alginate through a microencapsulation technique. Pectin was extracted from lemon peel using an acid treatment and then characterised. The morphology of the vitamin C-pectin-alginate microcapsules was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Time, temperature, and pH-dependent vitamin C release profiles of the vitamin C-pectin-alginate microcapsules were studied. The rate of release of vitamin C increased towards pH values close to 7.0, with a higher rate of 83.97% observed at pH 7.0. Additionally, temperature affected the release of vitamin C from the microcapsules, with approximately 47.2% release at body temperature (37°C) and a higher fluctuation in vitamin C release was observed at 20°C. This study revealed that pectin extracted from lemon peels can be used with alginate to encapsulate vitamin C.