Effects of different concentrations of maltodextrin and drying temperatures of spray drying process on physicochemical properties of encapsulated Sumac extract

Sumac is the common name of the Rhus genus, which contains over 250 individual species in the Anacardiaceae family. It is grown in temperate and tropical regions worldwide.Sumac is one of the most common spices used by people of the Mediterranean and Middle East regions. The sumac berries contain flavones, tannins, anthocyanins, and organic acids which provide antioxidant, antimicrobial and hypoglycemic activities. Due to spices maintenance problems caused by growth of microorganisms, flavor and color compounds losses, using spices extracts have recently been replaced. Although spices extract is sensitive to light, heat and oxygen and have a lower shelf life in poor storage conditions. Therefore, spices extract microencapsulation has been suggested by researchers. Spray drying is the most common and economical methods of microencapsulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different concentrations of maltodextrin and inlet air temperature on some properties of encapsulated sumac extract.
In the present study, the effects of three different inlet air temperatures (140, 160 and 180°C) and three different maltodextrin (DE=20-18) concentrations (10, 20 and 30%) on production efficiency, moisture content, water activity, solubility, hygroscopicity, wettability and color parameters of sumac extract spray dried powder were investigated. In all experiments, outlet air temperatures, atomizer rotational speed, feed flow rate and atomizer air pressure were kept constant at 80°C, 18000 rpm, 20 ml/min and 4±0.1 bar, respectively.
Production yield of the sumac powders varied from 44 to 57%. The addition of maltodextrin increased the product yield by preventing adhesion of the sumac extract on the dryer walls and also increasing the inlet air temperature caused an increase in product yield (P