## 1 Introduction  
Recently published manuscripts [1, 2, 3] on chokeberries have summarized their praiseworthy nutritional profile, highlighting their polyphenol content as one of the major contributors to their potential health benefits. Generally, edible plant polyphenols have been utilized as functional ingredients or for the formulation of functional additives for the enrichment of foods and beverages, since they can prevent or decelerate the advancement of a broad variety of diseases. Chokeberries (_Aronia melanogaster_) are emphasized as a highly valuable source for the formulation of functional foods [1; 2]. The most representative polyphenols in chokeberry juice are red pigments, i.e., anthocyanins (especially cyanidin-3-galactoside and cyanidin-3-arabinoside), flavonoids (quercetin-3-rutinoside), and phenolic acids (chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids) [4; 5]. Over the years, many studies (in vitro, pre-clinical, clinical, and epidemiological) have been conducted with the aim of exploring the interconnection between phenolic compounds and potential health benefits such as balancing the lipid profile, possible regulation of diabetes and hyperglycemia, protection from cardiovascular disorders, and anticancer, anti-inflammation and antioxidant potential [6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12]. Since chokeberries are not present in fresh form all year round, they are frequently processed into different products like jams, spreads, wines, juice, fruit teas, sauces, and dietary supplements [5; 13]. The formulation of different functional food additives is also one of the ways to preserve valuable bioactive compounds. Nowadays, enormous attention in the food and pharmaceutical industries is directed towards finding an adequate way to preserve phenolic compounds, in general, since they are quite unstable under various environmental conditions. Implementation of the \"delivery by design concept\" [14] can be used to resolve this rising question of phenolic compound stability. Progressive pursuit of new formulations through combinations of different polymers and other compounds can be perceived. Ionic gelation is one of many encapsulation techniques that is used for the formation of delivery systems of valuable plant-derived bioactives, since it is characterized by simplicity and rapidity. For these purposes, alginate is the most utilized biopolymer. Alginate is a naturally present anionic polymer that is usually extracted from brown seaweed. It is quite an interesting biopolymer and has wide applications in the food industry, agriculture, and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as in medicine, due to its attributes such as low cost, low toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, thermal and chemical stability, and ability to mask undesirable flavors [15; 16; 17]. Application of other biopolymers and fillers alongside alginate in the encapsulation mixture can boost the encapsulation of polyphenols through alternation of the highly porous structure of the alginate gel network in a way that facilitates the encapsulation of lower-molecular-weight compounds. Usually for these purposes, chitosan, pectin, cellulose derivates, and proteins are used [17; 18; 19; 20]. Pullulan is a water-soluble, non-toxic, and non-allergenic biopolymer, without odor or taste. Like alginate, it is characterized by its biocompatibility and biodegradability [21; 22; 23; 24; 25]. In food product formulation, pullulan has gained an important place due to its versatile properties. It can be utilized as a texturizer, for stabilization purposes, as a thickening and gelling agent, and also to improve organoleptic characteristics, prolong the shelf life of foods, and ease processing [26]. In low-calorie foods and drinks, it has been applied as a filler, but significant application has been achieved in the field of functional composite films and edible coatings in food packaging [21; 26]. Interestingly, past studies have implied that dietary pullulan may be used as a prebiotic for the protection of bifidobacteria and to enhance its growth [26; 27].