Abstract:
Cornus mas (CM) is one of the
four edible fruits of the Cornus genus, a rich
source of biologically active compounds
(BACs) such as vitamins (like vitamin C),
carotenoids, iridoids, and phenolics (phenolic
acids, anthocyanins, and other flavonoids).
This study aimed to analyse the improvement
of the stability of CM anthocyanins by
microencapsulation, in order to propose a
new natural food dye. Microencapsulation
using a mixture of whey protein isolate (WPI)
and chitosan (CH) as wall materials has been
applied to protect anthocyanins against
external factors (e.g., light, temperature,
storage, etc.). Two experimental variants of
microencapsulated powders, WPI:CH = 1:1
(CH1) and WPI:CH = 1:2 (CH2), were
realised by varying the wall materials ratio.
The cornelian cherry fruit concentrated
extract was evaluated for its phytochemical,
colourimetric, and antioxidant capacities.
Due to the excellent anthocyanin
encapsulation effectiveness (74.29 –
88.71%), the wall materials utilised for both
powders can be considered effective choices
to safeguard the anthocyanins. All tests
performed on the microencapsulated powders
demonstrated that both suggested
experimental forms can serve as a healthy
substitute for artificial food additives. The
incorporation of cornelian cherry fruit extract
and microencapsulated powders into a food
matrix (jelly candies) allowed examination of
their effectiveness. The colour analysis
rigorously characterised all the colour
parameters related to red nuances (due to
anthocyanins content, such as cyanidin-3-
glucoside) and yellow nuances (associated
with carotenoids content).
