Optimization of microencapsulation of dietary supplement (pepsin) for use in the food industry

The article presents the results of a study of the influence of a monocomponent protective material of a microcapsule - maltodextrin and two-component - maltodextrin with gum Arabic and maltodextrin with gelatin. At the same time, the effect of the thickness of the protective layer on the proteolytic activity of microencapsulated pepsin was tested. A significant decrease in the proteolytic activity of pepsin was found in the control sample (without encapsulation) during storage (p = 0.05); microcapsules with a protective layer of maltodextrin and gelatin, maltodextrin and gum Arabic were characterized by higher test parameters in comparison with control samples and covered only with maltodextrin (p = 0.01), while two-component protective materials did not show any significant differences in protection (p = 0.05), and there were no differences in preserving the activity of microcapsulated pepsin in two-component solutions with different thicknesses of 4 and 6 microns during storage. The results of the experiment on microencapsulation of pepsin in a pseudo-boiling layer make it possible to recommend the use of a solution of maltodextrin and gum Arabic while the coating thickness should be at least 2 μm. An increase in the thickness of the protective layer can be accompanied by large time and material costs, without ensuring an increase in the persistence of the activity of the encapsulated enzyme at a significant level (p = 0.01). This technology and materials for microencapsulation can be effectively used in food production.