Use of experimental design and simplex optimization algorithm in the encapsulation of roasted coffee oil

Abstract

Nanoencapsulation is a promising approach to protect the volatile compounds in natural lipid mixtures like roasted coffee oil . In this work, n anocapsules were obtained by the miniemulsification - solvent evaporation technique using poly (L - lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly( hydroxybutyrate - co - hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as encapsulant polymers. The total amount of effectively encapsulated oil was evaluated using a combination of full factorial experimental design and the simplex optimization algorithm and the following independen t factors were evaluated: encapsulant polymer , dispersion mechanism, polymer:oil mass ratio and surfactant. The total oil content (oil recovery) was significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by two - way and three - way interactions confirming that a complex dependence between the factors took place. If PLLA was the encapsulant polymer , then sonication yield ed the highest oil recovery. For PHBV as encapsulant, high shear homogenization (Ultraturrax) led to the highest oil recovery. In both cases, polymer: oil ratio and surfactant must be adjusted accordingly.