Valorization of Bioactive Compounds from Two Underutilized Wild Fruits by Microencapsulation in Order to Formulate Value-Added Food Products

Currently, microencapsulation has become a viable method of nutrient delivery for the food industry. This work microencapsulated the bioactive compounds extracted from two neglected species ( and ) by freeze-drying. A combination of wall materials (whey protein and pectin; soy protein and maltodextrin) was chosen to prepare the microcapsules. The phytochemical and physicochemical characterization of the microcapsules was then carried out. The encapsulation yield ranged from 82.77% to 96.05% for and , respectively, whereas the efficiency was 76.18 ± 1.39% and 80.93 ± 1.71%. The stimulated gastrointestinal test showed that encapsulation increased the bioavailability of the bioactive compounds. The total carotenoids were the most bioavailable compounds with 85.89 ± 0.06% for and 70.46 ± 1.10% for , followed by total flavonoids for with 63.27 ± 1.56%. Furthermore, regardless of species or wavelengths, the HPLC analysis resulted in the identification of 17 bioactive metabolites. The predominant one was epicatechin, whose level ranged from 231.52 ± 5.06 to 250.99 ± 3.72 mg/100 g DW in and 91.80 ± 3.85 to 116.40 ± 4.09 mg/100 g DW in . In estimating the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant power, both studied fruits showed antidiabetic, inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. These findings suggest that natural bioactive compounds are abundant in the fruits of and and could be a valuable source for the food and pharmaceutical industries.