Encapsulation capacity of Acacia Gum
Microencapsulation is a very important and valuable technique used in food and pharma industry to prepare chemically stable mixes of delicate ingredients or components and provide their control release. It also enhances the free flowability of such encapsulated powders and improves their handling characteristics during food and pharma processing. Encapsulating agents used in microencapsulation of delicate components should protect the encapsulated delicate component at the time of processing, storage and till its end use. Acacia gum can be used as an acceptable and excellent encapsulating agent due to its good solubility and very low viscosity for the encapsulation of reactive and delicate flavors which are volatile in nature. In addition to this, acacia gum is an excellent encapsulating agent for the encapsulation of oils because its film-forming ability and production of stable emulsion in a broader pH range. Acacia gum produces stable microencapsulated product in comparison to maltodextrin which is commercial used for encapsulation purpose. Microencapsulation with acacia gum can be used in food and pharma industry to diminish bitter taste, volatility, flammability, toxicity and to enhance stability and control release of the components. Acacia gum encapsulation capacity increases when it is used in combination with modified starch.