Xyloglucan from Hymenaea courbaril var. courbaril seeds as encapsulating agent of l-ascorbic acid.

This study evaluated the l-ascorbic acid (AA) encapsulation in microparticles of xyloglucan (XAA) extracted from Hymenaea courbaril seeds by spray drying (SD) and its application in tilapia fish burgers. The encapsulation efficiency was 96.34±1.6% and the retention of the antioxidant activity was of 89.48±0.88% after 60days at 25°C. SEM images showed microspheres with diameters ranging from 4.4 to 34.0μm. FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of AA in xyloglucan microparticles, which was corroborated by DSC and TGA. The release of ascorbic acid was found to be pH-dependent. The application of XAA in tilapia fish burger did not change the pH after heating and the ascorbic acid retention was greater compared to its free form. The results indicate that xyloglucan can be used to encapsulate AA by SD and suggest that XAA was able to reduce undesirable organoleptic changes in fish burgers.