## 5 Microencapsulated Bioactive Compounds: Application in Food Systems
Similarly, the use of freeze-dried pomegranate encapsulated in maltodextrin presented a fantastic opportunity to develop a functional beverage with high antioxidant and antibacterial properties, while this inclusion did not affect sensory acceptance in amounts up to 2% [82]. Finally, other authors proposed the use of encapsulated (ionic gelation) betalain-rich extract of _Opuntia-ficus-indica_ fruit as a colorant for the development of gummy candies [207]. In this case, the betanin stability color was confirmed, since after 30 days of refrigerated storage (4 \({}^{\circ}\)C), there were no significant color variations in the candies. In fact, this food product exhibited a vivid red-purple color; thus, the use of these microcapsules represents a promising application for the food industry [207]. On the other hand, hydroalcoholic extracts of two mushroom species, _Suillus luteus_ and _Coprinopsis atramentaria_, were encapsulated and incorporated in cottage cheese [208]. They found that the addition of free extracts resulted in products with higher DPPH antioxidant activity but the activity declined after the seventh day. However, the cottage cheese enriched with the microencapsulated extracts had a lower antioxidant activity at the initial stage but an improvement in the activity was observed after seventh day. Thismight be due to the controlled release of antioxidant compounds of natural extracts in the food systems. Another important application of encapsulated bioactive molecules is their use for extending meat products' shelf-lives. In a very recent study, the authors proposed the encapsulation of garlic essential oil using the spray drying technique and maltodextrin and gum Arabic as wall materials to prevent minced meat deterioration [209]. In this case, the use of microencapsulated essential oil at a concentration of 20% exerted a strong antimicrobial activity, which increased the minced-meat's shelf-life. Similarly, the use of casein-maltodextrin thyme essential oil encapsulated using spray drying showed a strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity [210]. Additionally, these authors conclude that the essential oil encapsulation by spray drying with casein and maltodextrin as wall materials was effective in producing capsules with high encapsulation efficiency, excellent thermal stability, and regular morphology [210]. However, not only the use of essential oils was proposed to preserve meat products. In another study, the authors use encapsulated prickly pear extracts to extend the shelf-life of beef burgers [211]. In this research, the authors observed a significant antimicrobial effect in burgers with the addition of prickly pear extracts, and among them, the use of encapsulated extract presented higher activity than unencapsulated extract. Additionally, the encapsulation of the extract determined more desirable color and texture features [211]. The use of pitaya peel extract, encapsulated using spray drying technique and maltodextrin as wall material, also presented promising results. The use of these microcapsules delayed the protein oxidation and also demonstrated a protective effect against the alterations promoted by the treatment with high-pressure process [212]. On the other hand, the use of microencapsulated nutrients is a good option for the development of nutrient-enriched food products. [PERSON] et al. [217] used edible gums i.e., alginate, pectin, and their mixtures as a wall material for folic acid encapsulation. They reported higher encapsulation efficiencies of alginate (216 \(\upmu\)g/100 g), pectin (196 \(\upmu\)g/100 g), and alginate-pectin mixture (360 \(\upmu\)g/100 g of folic acid). The stability of alginate-pectin folic acid capsules was tested in the milk system. The retention of folic acid was 360 \(\upmu\)g/100 g, which indicates their ability to remain intact in the milk system. The addition of folic acid capsules in milk resulted in a more even distribution of capsules than the incorporation after milling the curd and injection into the pressed block of raw cheese.