# Properties and Stability of Encapsulated Pomegranate Peel Extract Prepared by Co-Crystallization
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Change in Total Phenolic Content  
Figure 4 illustrates how the phenolic extract that was enclosed in a matrix of sucrose was more effectively maintained than the liquid extract. The inclusion of unstable phenolic components into the porosity of the sucrose aggregates ensures that they reduce the interaction of the active ingredient with environmental factors, providing protection against oxidation and degradation reactions and improving the stability of the co-crystallized product [8]. Regarding the variation in the phenolic concentration of the capsuled extract, it can be noted that the total phenolic content fluctuated throughout the course of the  
Figure 4: Total phenolic content of crude and encapsulated extract during storage at 60 \({}^{\circ}\)C.  
40 days. According to the findings, the phenolic content barely decreased by 0.56% from its starting point. As a result, the phenolic components in the sucrose matrix were successfully protected and preserved using the co-crystallization approach. According to [PERSON] et al. [36], co-crystallization guarantees a good stability of the active ingredient. This development can be linked to the sucrose crystal structure's capacity to effectively shield the encapsulated chemicals. It is important to note that after around 12 days, the curve showing the change in the total phenolic content of the co-crystallized powder shows an upward trend, indicating an increase in the concentration of phenolic components. During the examination of the stability of encapsulated samples, there are numerous literature references that report an increase in the concentration of total phenolic content. For instance, [PERSON] et al. [43] reported that the spray-drying method resulted in a rise in phenolics, primarily in the first ten days, in the encapsulated phenolic extract from pomegranate peels. The generation of chemicals that react with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent as well as the hydrolysis of conjugated polyphenols and changes in the structure of phenolic compounds were both responsible for this rise. Similar results were obtained by [PERSON] et al. [44], who combined raspberry peel extract with whey protein and discovered that the storage time increased the phenolic concentration. Other study teams have similarly noted the preservation of phenolic content at the conclusion of the 40-day period. [PERSON] et al. [14] observed a good retention of phenolic content in propolis extract when encapsulating it in a sucrose matrix, and they even stressed that the final product is more stable the higher the concentration of the extract in the sucrose is. They assumed that this trend is caused by the fact that larger amounts of the active ingredient can be retained in the porosity of the sucrose aggregates. In comparison to the outcome of the current study, the spray-dried powder from pomegranate peel extract generated by [PERSON] et al. [43] displayed superior stability since it had a flat surface with dents, indicating that the wall had formed before expansion and shrinkage started. The spray-dried powder demonstrated superior stability than the co-crystallized product, according to [PERSON] and [PERSON] [16], who encapsulated chokeberry extract using both spray drying and co-crystallization. This is because the spray-dried powder had a flat surface, indicating that the wall had hardened before shrinking. The co-crystallized products, in contrast, showed better stability when compared to spray-dried powders, claim [PERSON] et al. [36]. This pattern was attributed to sucrose's crystallized structure, which outperforms the amorphous powder produced by spray drying in protecting the encapsulated compounds. Additionally, the pores of some spray-dried capsules reduce entrapment. A drop of 9.93% was seen over time in the stability of the liquid, non-encapsulated extract in comparison to the beginning value. It was discovered that the total phenolic content increased significantly in the second measurement.