Quercetin is a plant pigment known as flavonoids and is one of the most abundant antioxidants in our diet. Laboratory studies have shown that in addition to being an effective antioxidant, it can have a range of benefits, including anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

The Singapore Research Organization has identified three substances that can be used as topcoats: carnauba wax from Brazilian palm trees, shellac - natural resin secreted by insect species called lacbug, and water-insoluble protein corn from corn gluten. protein. These products have been widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, but the team needs to find out which choices remain intact in the mouth, masking the taste of quercetin, but dissolved in the gastrointestinal tract.

The microencapsulation process involves mixing quercetin powder with carnauba wax, shellac or zein, and then adding the powder to a heating device known as a hot melt extruder.

The temperature of the hot melt extruder must be controlled to fully melt the product to coat the quercetin powder without altering the chemistry of quercetin. The resulting mixture was then cooled and ground.

The team then tested the performance of the coating material in a solution designed to simulate gastrointestinal conditions. They found that the carnauba wax-microcapsule quercetin powder remained intact in the mouth but still dissolved well in the acidic environment of the stomach.

Tests by electronic taste sensors have shown that carnauba wax coated products have almost a neutral taste, paving the way for microencapsulated quercetin for products such as bread and powdered beverages.