Sporopollenin microencapsulation as a strategy to improve soybean peptide acceptance

This study investigated the potential of using sunflower pollen grains (SPGs) as a carrier for soybean peptides (SoyP) to improve their palatability by masking their bitterness. SoyP is a bioactive macromolecule with various nutritional and medicinal benefits, but the high bitterness makes it unappealing to many consumers. To address this issue, the researchers encapsulated SoyP within SPGs using sodium alginate (SA) as a coating material. The resulting SoyP (Pellet) were analyzed using various techniques, including SEM, CLSM, FTIR, DSC, and XRD. The effectiveness of this taste-masking approach was evaluated using an E-tongue and dissolution under simulated oral conditions. The study found that SoyP (Pellet) exhibited significantly reduced bitterness and increased palatability compared to unencapsulated SoyP due to the moderate interaction between SoyP, SPGs, and SA. The use of sporopollenin microencapsulation presents a promising strategy for masking bitterness in nutraceutical applications and could lead to the development of more palatable functional foods and supplements.