Search for Author, Title, Keyword
Current issue
In press
Archive
About the Journal
Editorial Policies
Instructions for Authors
In press
Stats
CC-BY 4.0
Get citation
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Harnessing Vegetable Oils for β-Carotene Extraction from Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaves and Feasibility of Their Microencapsulation
Sandra E. García-Solís 1
Scopus logo
,
 
Viridiana Pérez Pérez 2
Scopus logo
,
 
Luis C. Boyano-Orozco 3
Scopus logo
,
 
Jorge L. Gonzalez-Escobar 4
Scopus logo
,
 
Carla P. Plazola-Jacinto 1
Scopus logo
,
 
Raúl E. López-Hernández 1
Scopus logo
 
 
 
More details
Hide details
1
Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
 
2
Departamento de Bioprocesos, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
 
3
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla, Colombia
 
4
Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Valles, Tecnológico Nacional de México, San Luis Potosí, México
 
 
Submission date: 2026-01-05
 
 
Acceptance date: 2026-04-20
 
 
Corresponding author
Viridiana Pérez Pérez   

Bioprocesos, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Bioprocesos, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico
 
 
 
KEYWORDS
emulsion
encapsulation efficiency
particle morphology
spray-drying
 
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves are known for their high carotenoid content; however, these bioactive compounds are highly susceptible to degradation under conditions of light exposure, oxygen contact, or high temperatures, resulting in a reduction in their functional effectiveness. Microencapsulation offers a promising method to protect these sensitive molecules. This study investigated the potential of edible vegetable oils as sustainable solvents for β-carotene extraction from M. oleifera leaves and evaluated the efficiency of their encapsulation. The extraction process was optimized using a D-optimal experimental design, focusing on variables such as oil ratio, temperature, and duration, with sunflower and corn oils as solvents. Optimal extraction was achieved using sunflower oil at 70°C for 10 min, yielding 51.92 mg β-carotene/100 g oil, closely matching the predicted value (52.96 mg/100 g). The extract with the highest β-carotene content was microencapsulated through spray-drying, using maltodextrin and gum Arabic as wall materials. A 1:1 (w/w) wall material ratio resulted in microcapsules with the highest encapsulation efficiency (0.74), average particle size of 7.98 µm, low moisture content (3.02 g/100 g), and water activity values of 0.11, indicating enhanced stability. These findings highlight sunflower oil as an effective and sustainable solvent for carotenoid extraction, while spray-drying with optimized wall material ratios improves the physicochemical stability and handling properties of β-carotene microcapsules.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was supported by the Consejo Mexiquense de Ciencia y Tecnologia (COMECYT), through support for Postdoctoral stays to Sandra Elizabeth García Solís.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
REFERENCES (42)
1.
AOAC (1995). Official Methods of Analysis (15th ed.). The Association of Official Analytical Chemists International, Washington DC, USA, p. 1094.
Google Scholar
 
 
2.
Baria, B., Upadhyay, N., Singh, A.K., Malhotra, R.K. (2019). Optimization of ‘green’ extraction of carotenoids from mango pulp using split plot design and its characterization. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 104, 186–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
3.
Cherif, A., Slama, A. (2022). Stability and change in fatty acids composition of soybean, corn, and sunflower oils during the heating process. Journal of Food Quality, 2022, art. no. 6761029. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
4.
Chutia, H., Mahanta, C.L. (2021). Green ultrasound and microwave extraction of carotenoids from passion fruit peel using vegetable oils as a solvent: Optimization, comparison, kinetics, and thermodynamic studies. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 67, art. no. 102547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifse....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
5.
Comunian, T.A., Favaro-Trindade, C.S. (2016). Microencapsulation using biopolymers as an alternative to produce food enhanced with phytosterols and omega-3 fatty acids: A review. Food Hydrocolloids, 61, 442-457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.food....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
6.
De Souza, L.R., Santos, I.A., Machado, G.G.L., Pereira, E.P., De Barros Vilas Boas, E.V., Botrel, D.A., De Carvalho, E.E.N., Damiani, C. (2024). Microencapsulation of carotenoids from tucumã (Astrocaryum aculeatum) peel by spray drying: Physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and application in yogurt. Food and Humanity, 3, art. no. 100454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooh....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
7.
Dickinson, E. (2003). Hydrocolloids at interfaces and the influence on the properties of dispersed systems. Food Hydrocolloids, 17(1), 25-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0268-....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
8.
Di Giorgio, L., Salgado, P.R., Mauri, A.N. (2019). Encapsulation of fish oil in soybean protein particles by emulsification and spray drying. Food Hydrocolloids, 87, 891-901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.food....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
9.
Do, H.T., Kha, C.T., Huynh, P.P.T. (2019). Spray-drying microencapsulation of β-carotene by polysaccharide from yeast cell walls. The Journal of Agriculture and Development, 18(06), 49-57. https://doi.org/10.52997/jad.7....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
10.
Drosou, C., Krokida, M. (2024). A comparative study of encapsulation of β-carotene via spray-drying and freeze-drying techniques using pullulan and whey protein isolate as wall material. Foods, 13(12), art. no. 1933. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods1....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
11.
Garcia-Solis, S.E., Perez-Perez, V., Tapia-Maruri, D., Villalobos-Castillejos, F., Arenas-Ocampo, M.L., Camacho-Diaz, B.H., Alamilla-Beltran, L. (2022). Microencapsulation of the green coffee waste extract with high antioxidant activity by spray-drying. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 46(10), art. no. e16864. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.1....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
12.
Gharsallaoui, A., Roudaut, G., Chambin, O., Voilley, A., Saurel, R. (2007). Applications of spray-drying in microencapsulation of food ingredients: An overview. Food Research International, 40(9), 1107-1121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.food....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
13.
Guadarrama-Lezama, A.Y., Dorantes-Alvarez, L., Jaramillo-Flores, M.E., Pérez-Alonso, C., Niranjan, K., Gutiérrez-López, G.F., Alamilla-Beltrán, L. (2012). Preparation and characterization of non-aqueous extracts from chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) and their microencapsulates obtained by spray-drying. Journal of Food Engineering, 112(1–2), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoo....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
14.
Guo, L., Fan, L., Liu, Y., Li, J. (2024). Strategies for improving loading of emulsion-based functional oil powder. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 64(33), 12780-12799. https://doi.org/10.1080/104083....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
15.
Gupta, C., Chawla, P., Arora, S., Tomar, S., Singh, A. (2015). Iron microencapsulation with blend of gum arabic, maltodextrin and modified starch using modified solvent evaporation method – Milk fortification. Food Hydrocolloids, 43, 622-628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.food....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
16.
Islam, Z., Islam, S.R., Hossen, F., Mahtab-ul-Islam, K., Hasan, M.R., Karim, R. (2021). Moringa oleifera is a prominent source of nutrients with potential health benefits. International Journal of Food Science, 2021(1), art. no. 6627265. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
17.
Jayme, M., Dunstan, D., Gee, M. (1999). Zeta potentials of gum arabic stabilised oil in water emulsions. Food Hydrocolloids, 13(6), 459-465. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0268-....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
18.
Jikah, A.N., Edo, G.I. (2023). Moringa oleifera: a valuable insight into recent advances in medicinal uses and pharmacological activities. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 103(15), 7343-7361. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.1....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
19.
Karaca, A.C. (2020). Encapsulation of black pepper seed oil using maltodextrin and pea protein. Food Science and Technology International, 26(5), 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1177/108201....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
20.
Lavelli, V., Sereikaitė, J. (2022). Kinetic study of encapsulated β-carotene degradation in dried systems: A review. Foods, 11(3), art. no. 437. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods1....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
21.
López-Hernández, R.E., García-Solís, S.E., Monroy-Rodríguez, I., Cornejo-Mazón, M., Calderón-Domínguez, G., Alamilla-Beltrán, L., Hernández-Sánchez, H., Gutiérrez-López, G.F. (2022). Preparation and characterization of canola oil-in-water Pickering emulsions stabilized by barley starch nanocrystals. Journal of Food Engineering, 326, art. no. 111037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoo....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
22.
Mahdi, A.A., Mohammed, J.K., Al-Ansi, W., Ghaleb, A.D., Al-Maqtari, Q.A., Ma, M., Ahmed, M.I., Wang, H. (2020). Microencapsulation of fingered citron extract with gum arabic, modified starch, whey protein, and maltodextrin using spray drying. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 152, 1125-1134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbi....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
23.
McClements, D.J. (2005). Characterization of emulsion properties. In: D.J. McClements (Ed.), Food Emulsions: Principles, Practices, and Techniques (2nd ed.), Boca Raton: CRC Press, pp. 475–485. https://doi.org/10.1201/978142....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
24.
Menegazzi, G.D.S., Teixeira, E.C., Pinto, L.A.D.A., Burkert, J.F.D.M. (2020). Spray-drying microencapsulation of carotenoids produced by Phaffia rhodozyma. Industrial Biotechnology, 16(5), 300-308. https://doi.org/10.1089/ind.20....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
25.
Meng, W., Sun, H., Mu, T., Garcia-Vaquero, M. (2024). Spray-drying and rehydration on β-carotene encapsulated Pickering emulsion with chitosan and seaweed polyphenol. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 268(Pt 1), art. no. 131654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbi....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
26.
Nagata, M., Yamashita, I. (1992). Simple method for simultaneous determination of chlorophyll and carotenoids in tomato fruit. NIPPON SHOKUHIN KOGYO GAKKAISHI, 39(10), 925-928. https://doi.org/10.3136/nskkk1....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
27.
Plazola-Jacinto, C.P., Pérez-Pérez, V., Pereyra-Castro, S.C., Alamilla-Beltrán, L., Ortiz-Moreno, A. (2019). Microencapsulation of biocompounds from avocado leaves oily extracts. Revista Mexicana de Ingeniería Química 18(3), 1261-1276. https://doi.org/10.24275/uam/i....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
28.
Portillo‐López, R., Morales‐Contreras, B.E., Lozano‐Guzmán, E., Basilio‐Heredia, J., Muy‐Rangel, M.D., Ochoa‐Martínez, L.A., Rosas‐Flores, W., Morales‐Castro, J. (2021). Vegetable oils as green solvents for carotenoid extraction from pumpkin (Cucurbita argyrosperma Huber) byproducts: Optimization of extraction parameters. Journal of Food Science, 86(7), 3122-3136. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
29.
Premi, M., Sharma, H.K. (2017). Effect of different combinations of maltodextrin, gum arabic and whey protein concentrate on the encapsulation behavior and oxidative stability of spray dried drumstick (Moringa oleifera) oil. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 105(Pt 1), 1232–1240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbi....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
30.
Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B. (2016). Natural food pigments and colorants. Current Opinion in Food Science, 7, 20-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
31.
Rosal, R. (2021). Morphological description of microplastic particles for environmental fate studies. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 171, art. no. 112716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marp....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
32.
Sachindra, N.M., Mahendrakar, N.S. (2005) Process optimization for extraction of carotenoids from shrimp waste with vegetable oils, Bioresource Technology, 96(10), 1195–1200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bior....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
33.
Saini, R.K., Shetty, N.P., Giridhar, P. (2014). Carotenoid content in vegetative and reproductive parts of commercially grown Moringa oleifera Lam. cultivars from India by LC–APCI–MS. European Food Research and Technology, 238, 971–978. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
34.
Salimi, A., Maghsoudlou, Y., Jafari, S.M. (2018). Effect of emulsion stability and spray drying conditions on physicochemical characteristics of encapsulated powders. Latin American Applied Research – An International Journal, 48(2), 95-100. https://doi.org/10.52292/j.laa....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
35.
Silva, S.S., Gomes, J.M., Reis, R.L., Kundu, S.C. (2021). Green solvents combined with bioactive compounds as delivery systems: present status and future trends. ACS Applied Bio Materials, 4(5), 4000-4013. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
36.
Sonewane, K., Chouhan, S.S., Rajan, M., Chauhan, N.S., Rout, O.P., Kumar, A., Baghle, G.S., Gupta, P.K. (2022). Pharmacological, ethnomedicinal, and evidence-based comparative review of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Shigru) and its potential role in the management of malnutrition in Tribal Regions of India, especially Chhattisgarh. World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 8(3), 314-338. https://doi.org/10.4103/wjtcm.....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
37.
Tak, Y., Kaur, M., Jain, M.C., Samota, M.K., Meena, N.K., Kaur, G., Kumar, R., Sharma, D., Lorenzo, J.M., Amarowicz, R. (2022). Jamun seed: A review on bioactive constituents, nutritional value and health benefits. Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 72(3), 211-228. https://doi.org/10.31883/pjfns....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
38.
USDA (2019). United States Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/.
Google Scholar
 
 
39.
Wang, W., Dufour, C., Zhou, W. (2015). Impacts of spray-drying conditions on the physicochemical properties of soy sauce powders using maltodextrin as auxiliary drying carrier. CYTA – Journal of Food, 13(4), 548–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/194763....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
40.
Yin, X., Lu, J., Du, W., Wu, Q., Han, L., Su, S. (2024). Encapsulation of β-carotene in Pickering emulsions stabilized by self-aggregated chitosan nanoparticles: Factors affecting β-carotene stability. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 277(Pt 1), art. no. 133696. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbi....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
41.
Zhang, L., Liao, W., Wei, Y., Tong, Z., Wang, Y., Gao, Y. (2021). Fabrication, characterization and in vitro digestion of food-grade β-carotene high loaded microcapsules: A wet-milling and spray drying coupling approach. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 151, art. no. 112176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
42.
Zhu, Y., Peng, Y., Wen, J., Quek, S.Y. (2021). A comparison of microfluidic-jet spray drying, two-fluid nozzle spray drying, and freeze-drying for co-encapsulating β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and fish oil. Foods, 10(7), art. no. 1522. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods1....
CrossRef
 
Google Scholar
 
 
Share
Send by email
RELATED ARTICLE
Enhancing Beef Meat Emulsion: The Role of Banana Peel Albedo Powder
Encapsulation of Gallic Acid with Acid-Modified Low Dextrose Equivalent Potato Starch Using Spray- and Freeze-Drying Techniques
ISOLATION OF LYSOZYME FROM HEN EGG WHITE BY ION-EXCHANGE TECHNIQUES AND ITS SPRAY-DRYING DEHYDRATION
Indexes
 
Keywords index
Topics index
Authors index
eISSN:2083-6007
ISSN:1230-0322
Journals System - logo
W latach 2022-2024 kwartalnik naukowy Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences realizuje projekt nr RCN/SP/0520/2021/1 finansowany ze środków budżetu państwa – Ministerstwo Edukacji i Nauki w ramach programu „Rozwój czasopism naukowych”. Dofinansowanie wynosi 120 000 zł. W ramach projektu podejmowane są działania zmierzające do podniesienia poziomu praktyk wydawniczych i edytorskich, zwiększenia wpływu czasopism na rozwój nauki oraz utrzymania się czasopism w międzynarodowym obiegu naukowym.

In the years 2022-2024, the scientific quarterly Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences accomplishes a project no. RCN/SP/0520/2021/1 financed from the state budged – Ministry of Education and Science Republic of Poland in the framework of a program “Development of scientific journals”. The financing amounts to 120,000 PLN. The program aims at improving the level of publishing and editing practices, increasing the impact of scientific journals on science development, and extending the international range of scientific journals.
© 2006-2026 Journal hosting platform by Bentus
Scroll to top