## 5 Microencapsulated Bioactive Compounds: Application in Food Systems
[155] used liposome-based delivery systems for the microencapsulation of omega-3 fatty acids, and they reported that encapsulated bioactive compounds showed higher oxidative stability. [PERSON] et al. [198] microencapsulated the phenolics of pomegranate peel (_Punicagramum_) by spray drying for use in ice cream formulations. They reported that enrichment with microencapsulated polyphenols from the peel improved antioxidant and \(\alpha\)-glucosidase inhibitory activities; more than 75% of sensory evaluation panelists accepted the final product. A formulation of omega-3 fatty-acid-enriched soup powder was optimized by  
Figure 3: Assessment of microencapsulated bioactive compounds for their efficiency. [PERSON] et al. [199] using microcapsules of linseed oil. The linseed oil was encapsulated in a matrix of maltodextrin and gum arabic, and thus a controlled release of core bioactive compound was also achieved. Garcinia fruit extract, a rich source of hydroxycitric acid that possesses various health benefits, has been microencapsulated and incorporated in bread [200] and pasta [201]. These authors reported that the products having microencapsulated bioactive compounds had higher quality attributes including sensory properties. Casein and inulin were used for the microencapsulation of citric acid powder [202], and the microcapsules were incorporated in the formulation of chewing gums. The samples containing microcapsules had higher sensory characteristics than control samples. [PERSON] et al. [179] encapsulated green tea polyphenols by two techniques, viz., freeze drying and spray drying using different wall materials. The bread samples containing these microcapsules had similar characteristics in comparison to the control samples. The color and taste of bread samples containing microcapsules were slightly better than the control (free polyphenols) samples. These authors concluded that the fortification of bread with microcapsules of green tea polyphenols can retain the quality characteristics of bread along with the functionality of polyphenols more efficiently. The flavor is one of the most important sensory attributes of any food product. It is easily disturbed by various processing and storage conditions as described earlier. Thus, the microencapsulation of flavor compounds and their application in real food systems are important challenges for the food industry. The encapsulation of cardamom oleoresin by co-crystallization in a sucrose matrix to formulate flavored sugar cubes has been performed by [PERSON] et al. [203] for tabletop use in tea. Similar to natural flavor compounds, natural food colorants are also preferred by consumers. A natural food colorant was obtained by spray drying _Opuntiasticratica_ fruit juice as a potential source of betacyanin pigments [204]. This colorant was used in the preparation of yogurt and soft drinks; it was noticed that this addition resulted in an attractive tonality for the consumers, which was even maintained after one month of storage under refrigerated conditions. In a more recent study, yogurts and soft drinks were also fortified with encapsulated (spray drying; maltodextrin) betaxanthin-rich extract obtained from cactus pear fruits [205]. This water-soluble natural yellow color improves the color stability of both foods' models, although this stability was dependent on the storage temperature and light. Additionally, the foods were fortified in betaxanthins, which exert a clear and important health benefit for humans [205]. In yogurts reformulated with \(\beta\)-carotene microparticles, the authors observed that the incorporation of these microparticles did not drastically affect yogurt characteristics [206], while the co-encapsulation with \(\alpha\)-tocopherol increased the oxidative stability of the product. Moreover, the sensory evaluation indicated that it is a strategy to produce nutritional fortification and allow the replacement of artificial dyes in the dairy industry.