Spray-dried Encapsulation of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) Essential Oil with Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) Gum

About 40 g of oil/kg seed were extracted from cardamom seeds by steam distillation. Emulsions with oil: gum ratios of 1:5, 1:4 and 1:3 w/w were prepared by homogenizing 300 g of mesquite gum/kg in deionized water with the essential oil. Microcapsules were produced by spray drying. Total oil retention, surface oil, moisture content, and bulk and particle density were analysed in the microcapsules. The greatest encapsulation efficiency reached was 83.6% for an oil: gum ratio of 1:4, with a surface oil concentration of 2590 mg/kg powder. Moisture content was similar for the three ratios tested (20-25 g/kg powder).