Optimization of the inclusion efficiency of phenolic Pinus brutia extracts

Abstract

Phenolics, which are secondary plant metabolites, have an important place in nutritional therapy due to their potent antioxidant properties. Phenolics also show anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and anti-fungal effects. Pinus brutia, a natural source of phenolics, is known for its wound-healing, immunity-enhancing, and ailment-treating properties. Encapsulation has many advantages for biologically active ingredients, such as enhancing thermal stability, masking unwanted tastes or odors, protecting bioactive compounds from environmental degradation (such as moisture, oxygen, and light), and improving bioavailability by enabling controlled or targeted release. The first stage of the study involved the extraction of phenolics from Pinus brutia bark (PBB) using four different solvents, including methanol, ethanol, ethanol–water (70:30, v/v), and methanol–water (70:30, v/v). The phenolic compound profile of the extracts was determined using HPLC–DAD. An experimental design was used to achieve maximum encapsulation efficiency in the PBB extract-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex (PBB–β–CD). To this purpose, various parameters (β–cyclodextrin ratio, temperature, PBB extract volume, and time) were optimized using Response Surface Methodology–Central Composite Design. The significant parameters and optimum conditions that influenced the response were identified. Under optimum conditions, the experimental encapsulation efficiency was 90.45 ± 1.34%, closely matching the predicted encapsulation efficiency of 93.31%. The PBB–β–CD was characterized using SEM and FT–IR, confirming the efficiency of the encapsulation process. Based on the data obtained in this study, it is anticipated that the inclusion complex developed as a result of encapsulation of PBB extract with β-CD can be used in various fields such as nutraceutical and biomedical.