Effect of partial replacement of gum arabic with carbohydrates on its microencapsulation properties.

Gum arabic solutions (10% w/v) were emulsified with soy oil at oil/gum ratios of 0.25-5.0. At oil/gum ratios <1.0, it was established that gum arabic could be partially replaced with a nonsurfactant carbohydrate. To assess different carbohydrates as replacers for gum arabic, emulsions and spray-dried emulsions of soy oil and mixed solutions (10% w/v) of gum arabic and a range of carbohydrate wall materials (oil/gum = 0.5) were prepared and analyzed. Maize starch and glucose were ineffective as partial replacers of gum arabic, but maltodextrins of various dextrose equivalence values (5.5-38) successfully replaced 50% of the gum arabic. The microencapsulation efficiency of the gum arabic/maltodextrin stabilized powders was further increased by increasing total solids of the feed to the dryer and by increasing the atomizer nozzle diameter.