Characterization of ferulic acid encapsulation complexes with maltodextrin and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

Abstract

Ferulic acid (FA) is well known for its variety of biological activities. However, FA has low water solubility, which limits its potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, FA was encapsulated by spray drying with maltodextrin (MD) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) under optimal ratios to address this limitation. The FA/MD complex was effectively formed at FA 8%:MD 20% and the FA/HPMC complex at FA 10%:HPMC 25%. Encapsulation efficiency, solubility, and stability were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The characteristics and morphology of each material and complex were analyzed by an X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. All these analyses indicated that FA was well encapsulated with MD and HPMC. Moreover, encapsulated FA had enhanced water solubility and stability. Thus, FA may be a promising ingredient for the food and pharmaceutical industries.