Microencapsulation of Kaffir Lime Oil and Its Functional Properties

This paper describes the effects of spray drying temperature and wall materials on functional properties of kaffir lime oil microcapsules. The effects of spray drying were studied at inlet air temperatures at 160, 180, and 200°C. Two coating materials (konjac glucomannan and gum arabic) were employed in this study. The results indicate that kaffir lime oil had antibacterial activity against all tested pathogens and was able to inhibit Vibrio cholerae comparable to a standard antibiotic. The combination of konjac glucomannan and gum arabic (KGM+GA) can enhance the yield and retention of total oil in the microcapsules more than using konjac glucomannan alone as a wall material. Increasing inlet air temperature resulted in a decrease of antibacterial activity and amount of bioactive volatile compounds. Physical and chemical properties of the microcapsules did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) in terms of process yield, a _w , moisture content, efficiency in retention of total, surface and inner oil, water solubility index, and color except at inlet air temperature of 200°C. However, it was found that the kaffir lime oil microcapsules from KGM+GA produced at inlet temperature of 180°C had the best functional properties in terms of antibacterial activity and efficiency of retention of total encapsulated oil.