MICROENCAPSULATION OF BEETROOT POMACE EXTRACTION CELLS OF Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Beetroot pomace is an industrial by-product and ecological problem, as well as a potential rich source of natural antioxidants and pigments. In the present study, beetroot pomace extract (BPE) was encapsulated in non-plasmolysed, plasmolysed, and living Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells by a freeze-drying method. Living and dead yeast cells were microscopically assessed by using Neubauer chamber in order todetermine how the freeze-drying procedure affects changes in the yeast cell number. Total and surface phenolic contents were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and encapsulation efficiency (EE) was calculated. The best EE was achieved in the case when BPE was encapsulated in living yeast cells. The successful encapsulation of BPE in yeast cells was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). These results report the encapsulation of sensitive compounds in yeast cells by freeze-drying, showing that it is a good method for valuable compound preservation and has a potential use in food and pharmaceutical industries.