Encapsulation Properties of <i>Mentha piperita</i> Leaf Extracts Prepared Using an Ultrasound-Assisted Double Emulsion Method
Bhawna Sobti,
Afaf Kamal-Eldin,
Sanaa Rasul,
Mariam Saeed Khalfan Alnuaimi,
Khulood Jaber Jasim Alnuaimi,
Alia Ali Khsaif Alhassani,
Mariam M. A. Almheiri,
Akmal Nazir
Affiliations
Bhawna Sobti
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Afaf Kamal-Eldin
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Sanaa Rasul
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Mariam Saeed Khalfan Alnuaimi
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Khulood Jaber Jasim Alnuaimi
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Alia Ali Khsaif Alhassani
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Mariam M. A. Almheiri
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Akmal Nazir
Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Double emulsions (W1/O/W2) have long been used in the food and pharmaceutical industries to encapsulate hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs and bioactive compounds. This study investigated the effect of different types of emulsifiers (plant- vs. animal-based proteins) on the encapsulation properties of Mentha piperita leaf extract (MLE) prepared using the double emulsion method. Using response surface methodology, the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions (amplitude 20–50%; time 10–30 min; ethanol concentration 70–90%) on the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (percent inhibition) of the MLE was studied. MLE under optimized conditions (ethanol concentration 76%; amplitude 39%; time 30 min) had a TPC of 62.83 mg GA equivalents/g and an antioxidant activity of 23.49%. The optimized MLE was encapsulated using soy, pea, and whey protein isolates in two emulsifying conditions: 4065× g/min and 4065× g/30 s. The droplet size, optical images, rheology, and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) of the different encapsulated MLEs were compared. The W1/O/W2 produced at 4065× g/min exhibited a smaller droplet size and higher EE% and viscosity than that prepared at 4065× g/30 s. The higher EE% of soy and pea protein isolates indicated their potential as an effective alternative for bioactive compound encapsulation.