Encapsulation strategy for citrus aroma stabilization using freeze-drying process

Marija Banožić¹, Josipa Krezić¹,Martin Kondža²,Krunoslav Aladić³,Igor Jerković^4*

¹University of Mostar, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology, Biskupa Čule bb, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
²University of Mostar, Faculty of Pharmacy, Matice Hrvatske bb, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
³Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Franje Kuhača 18, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
⁴University of Split, Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, Ruđera Boškovića 35, 21000 Split, Croatia

ARTICLE INFO	ABSTRACT
TYPE: Original scientific paper https://doi.org/10.17508/CJFST.2025.17.1.03 PDF	Commercial juice processing generates a wide range of citrus byproducts including Citrus reticulata pomace. Citrus reticulata pomace consists primarily of pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and simple sugars. The essential oil present in small amounts contributes to the characteristic citrus aroma. In this research, volatile and semi-volatiles were extracted from citrus pomace (byproduct of mandarin juice production and then encapsulated using a freeze-drying technique. The main goal was to evaluate the efficiency of different coatings such as gum arabic, maltodextrin, and carboxymethylcellulose, to encapsulate citrus aroma. To confirm encapsulation, the microcapsules were disrupted in water. In disrupted microcapsules, a total of 17 monoterpenes, 13 sesquiterpenes, and 15 other compounds were identified, while on the surface of microcapsules, only up to 7 compounds were identified. From 46 aroma compounds identified in disrupted microcapsules, the most abundant ones were limonene, linalool, and α-terpineol.
*CORRESPONDENCE Igor Jerković igor@ktf-split.hr
ARTICLE HISTORY Received: December 16, 2024 Accepted: February 14, 2025
CITATION Banožić M, Krezić J, Kondža M, Aladić K, Jerković I. Encapsulation strategy for citrus aroma stabilization using freeze-drying process. Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology (2025) 17 (1) 37-47
COPYRIGHT: © 2024 by the author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
	KEYWORDS encapsulation; citrus; aroma; limonene; of-flavor compounds
	KEY CONTRIBUTION Core of the microcapsule (Citrus reticulata extract) was produced from a byproduct contributing towards the sustainable goals of the food industry. Produced microcapsules exhibited good citrus aroma retention and could be used in the food and cosmetic industry.