Supercritical assisted atomization (SAA) is a method that produces microparticles of bioactive compounds; when a polymer is also present, it can form a protective layer around the bioactive compound. Despite their bioactive potential, beet leaves have no commercial applications and are currently used for composting or as animal feed. Therefore, this study intended to encapsulate bioactive compounds extracted from beet leaves using SAA technology. The beet leaf extract (BLE), obtained through extraction with 70% ethanol, was mixed with the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in different ratios (1:10, 1:20, and 1:30) and subjected to the SAA process for co-precipitation. The results showed that the SAA 3 formulation (1:30 ratio) performed better than the other ratios, with an average particle size of 6.37 μm and a dispersion index of 1.56. This formulation also achieved a concentration of phenolic compounds equal to 5.50 g GAE (100 g)−1 and exhibited the best antioxidant activity, with a value of 15.98 μmol TEAC g–1. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of ascorbic acid in the extract, and after the SAA process, the sample with a 1:30 ratio showed the highest ascorbic acid content, reaching 246.86 mg L–1. The SAA process proved to be effective in forming BLE/PVP microparticles with potential for industrial application and the development of new products.
Evaluation of Microparticles Obtained from Beet Leaf Extracts ( Beta vulgaris L. ) Using Supercritical Assisted Atomization (SAA)
Mottola, Stefania;Scognamiglio, Mariarosa;De Marco, Iolanda;Reverchon, Ernesto;
2025
Abstract
Supercritical assisted atomization (SAA) is a method that produces microparticles of bioactive compounds; when a polymer is also present, it can form a protective layer around the bioactive compound. Despite their bioactive potential, beet leaves have no commercial applications and are currently used for composting or as animal feed. Therefore, this study intended to encapsulate bioactive compounds extracted from beet leaves using SAA technology. The beet leaf extract (BLE), obtained through extraction with 70% ethanol, was mixed with the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in different ratios (1:10, 1:20, and 1:30) and subjected to the SAA process for co-precipitation. The results showed that the SAA 3 formulation (1:30 ratio) performed better than the other ratios, with an average particle size of 6.37 μm and a dispersion index of 1.56. This formulation also achieved a concentration of phenolic compounds equal to 5.50 g GAE (100 g)−1 and exhibited the best antioxidant activity, with a value of 15.98 μmol TEAC g–1. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of ascorbic acid in the extract, and after the SAA process, the sample with a 1:30 ratio showed the highest ascorbic acid content, reaching 246.86 mg L–1. The SAA process proved to be effective in forming BLE/PVP microparticles with potential for industrial application and the development of new products.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
