Abstract:
To enhance the stability of
α-amylase inhibitors throughout processing and application, soybean protein isolate-arabinose mixtures and their Maillard reaction products were employed as composite wall materials in conjunction with sodium alginate to fabricate
α-amylase inhibitor microcapsules. The physicochemical characteristics of the composite wall systems were systematically investigated, while the morphology and stability of the resulting microcapsules were comparatively evaluated, thereby elucidating the protective mechanism of microencapsulation and highlighting the advantages of Maillard reaction products as wall materials. The results demonstrated that incorporation of Maillard reaction products markedly improved the stability and activity retention of
α-amylase inhibitors within the microcapsules. The optimized formulation achieved an encapsulation efficiency of 91.57%, an
α-amylase inhibitor content of 170.01 mg/g, and an average particle size of 1229.50 μm, exhibiting uniform and well-defined spherical morphology, all of which were significantly superior to those of microcapsules prepared without Maillard modification. Moreover, the Maillard-based microcapsules displayed enhanced stability under elevated temperatures (≥70 ℃), extreme pH conditions (pH ≤4 or pH ≥8), as well as in simulated gastric fluid. Collectively, these findings indicate that Maillard reaction products function as effective wall materials for microencapsulation, substantially improving the processing adaptability and bioavailability of
α-amylase inhibitors and offering a promising strategy for their further development and application in functional foods.