249 Methods and techniques for encapsulation of flavors using beta-cyclodextrin.

Z. H. QI, A. Xu, and M. E. Embuscado. Cerestar USA, Inc., Hammond, IN 46320-1094.

Beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) is a cyclic molecule composed of 7 glucopyranosyl units. Produced from starch, BCD is well known for its capability to form inclusion complexes with a wide variety of guest compounds. Encapsulation with BCD has been widely recognized as one of the most effective ways for protecting flavors against oxidation, evaporation, heat and light degradation. Nevertheless, since flavors are highly complex, their multiple components posses varying size, polarity, volatility, solubility, thus different binding affinity to BCD. The current study was undertaken in order to gain in-depth knowledge about advantages and limitations of various BCD-flavor encapsulation methodologies. Results show that the outcome of encapsulation, as reflected by flavor load, product yield, encapsulation efficiency etc., is not only affected by intrinsic properties of a flavor, but by the preparation method as well. For instance, the actual flavor load in a finished product arises as the initial flavor loading increases. However, it stops going up beyond a saturation point whereas the overall flavor recovery declines. Alternatively, using a fixed initial BCD-to-flavor ratio but with different encapsulation methods can also give rise to varying results. These findings provide guidance for effective and economical use of BCD in flavor applications.