The Encapsulation of Saffron Extract in Double Emulsion System and Stability Evaluation of Its Active Constituents using Principal Component Analysis Method during Storage Period

In this study, a double emulsion system was developed based on an optimized initial simple emulsion with the view to increase the stability of effective saffron compounds (crocin, picrocrocin and safranal). To this end the effect of various concentrations of surfactant (10, 12.5 and 15%) and different types of carbohysrates (sucrose, sorbitol, and dextran) on the stability of simple emulsion was investigated. The principal component analysis method was used to identify the relationships between the quantitative changes of the active components and quality attributes of the emulsion. Based on the results, day 7 was recognized as a critical point on which dramatic changes in the quality attributes of the emulsion coincided with the loss of saffron active compounds. In other words, physical changes in the stability of emulshion correlated well with the destruction trend of active compounds, although picrocrocin changes were found to be of independents. Also, it was revealed that the incorporation of 1% w/w sorbitol into the aqueous extract of saffron significantly decreased the loss rate of saffron active compounds in the emulsion. In addition, the double emulsion increased the half-life of saffron active compounds during a 14 day storage period. The results showed that double emulsion system was a suitable method for saffron extract, but the qualitative properties of initial emulsion also had a great influence on their stability. Multivariate analysis methods can also be used to clarify the relationships between the qualitative properties of the emulsion and the active compounds entrapped within it.