The method allows the microencapsulation of betacarotene extracted from oil palm pressed fiber (PPF). The result is an additive of high added value for the natural pigment market, which grows 4.7% a year. Betacarotene, a carotenoid pigment, has important properties for human health and is used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Oil palm pressed fiber is underused and its new application adds value to the palm oil production chain. The method was jointly developed by Embrapa Agroenergy and the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). Researchers seek partners to co-develop products. Researchers from Embrapa Agroenergy developed a method to use the betacarotene found in pressed fiber from African oil palm. They used the spray drying technique (see box below) and were able to microencapsulate a betacarotene extract and thus generate a high added-value additive, which can meet the demand from an expanding market for natural pigments, whose annual growth rate is around 4.7%. Betacarotene is a carotenoid pigment with antioxidant properties and a precursor of vitamin A, responsible for helping important functions in human health like sight, growth, and cell renewal. In nature, it is part of a group of nutrients known as carotenoids, found in orange-yellow fruits and vegetables. It can be used as coloring, in pharmaceutical preparations, and, in the Brazilian market, it is easily found in juices, pasta, margarine, food supplements, and supplements for ruminants. In the stage that precedes the microencapsulation, the researchers investigated the chemical composition of the oil palm pressed fiber and observed that PPF represents approximately 12% of the processed bunch of fresh fruit and contains 8% of residual oil on a dry basis, which is rich in betacarotene. “We realized that there was an opportunity for the production of an additive of high added value, and that we could improve the efficiency of the use of the resources and recycle waste from the African palm oil production chain”, explains the Embrapa researcher Simone Mendonça, responsible for the project. After that, the research group studied the ideal conditions to store the molecule before extraction (learn more in this paper). “The next step was to extract the residue through an environmentally friendly method called supercritical extraction, and generate a carotenoid concentrated extract. After that, we performed the microencapsulation to conserve the material”, the researcher explains. As the molecule can be easily degraded by heat, light, oxygen or moisture, the process of microencapsulating betacarotene forms a barrier that helps to protect it from such factors, before and after inserting it in any preparation (food, feed or cosmetics). It thus prevents the loss of antioxidant properties and makes its use possible in watery way. The advantages for farmers are higher stability of the product during its processing and storage. The microencapsulation process was entirely performed at Embrapa Agroenergy and now it is being perfected to improve the stability of the final product. The method is one of the solutions developed by the corporation to exploit co-products of the oil palm production chain. On the other hand, the stage of producing the extract through supercritical extration was conducted by the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). How the method works The spray drying method is used to convert fluid foods into powder. This happens inside a chamber connected to a hot air system that eliminates the humidity present in different types of liquid materials. In the case of betacarotene, it it is first transformed into a suspension, and then atomized (sprinkled) into the chamber. After that, the material is submitted to a control air current at different temperatures so that the water and other existing solvents evaporate quickly. After the end of this process, the solid and dry product is obtained (check the explanatory video). The spray drying process is often used by the food industry. As such type of drying is very fast, it prevents the molecule's stability from being affected by the effect of heat. Moreover, it is low cost technique whose equipment is easy to handle. “In the microencapsulation we use an adjuvant substance that will recoat the active ingredient (betacarotene)”, the researcher Simone Mendonça explains. The best adjuvant was selected and the conditions of the process were adjust by Embrapa Agroenergy's team. To perform the entire process, the researchers used an equipment called micro Spray Dryer for laboratory benches, but bigger versions of the equipment are already available in the market for use on an industrial scale. Seeking partners Embrapa Agroenergy is looking for companies for partnerships in the co-development of processes and products. In the case of the market for carotenoids, the researchers are looking for companies with know-how in supercritical extraction and spray dryer and/or structure, with the aim of increasing the scale of molecule extraction. Another possible partnership would be to test the product in specific applications and conduct bioavailability studies, which are required to characterize an additive for certain markets. To learn more about partnership opportunities, access Embrapa Agroenergy's Technology Showcase. Learn how to establish a partnership with Embrapa Agroenergy on their web page. Impacts for the oil palm agroindustry Currently, most of the oil palm pressed fiber is burnt in boilers at the own oil extraction plant, or is returned to the fields to be used as soil cover. “These are applications of low added value”, Simone Mendonça underscores. Therefore, she believes that creating a process for the extraction and microencapsulation of the residual oil found in the fibers is a market niche of high aggregate value. “After the extraction, the fiber can also have other uses”, she adds. The growth projections of the market for carotenoids are optimistic. This is because there is an increasing demand in the market for natural products. In the year 2019, the global natural pigment market posted US$ 1.2 billion, with forecast to reach US$ 1.9 billion in 2026, considering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% during the period (Marketwatch, 2020). With the highest share of the carotenoids market (estimated at 26% in 2021), natural betacarotene yield is estimated at 10 to 100 tons a year. The data came from this study developed by Embrapa Agroenergy in partnership with the University of Brasilia (UnB). Learn more about African oil palm African oil palm originated in the west coast of Africa (Gulf of Guinea). It was introduced in the Americas in the 16th century, brought by slaves that disembarked in the Brazilian state of Bahia, where it found in the Bahian Recôncavo region suitable climate and soil conditions to develop, originating the sub-spontaneous oil palm groves that exist in the region to date. It produces the main source of plant oil in the world, the palm oil, which is known in Brazil as "dendê". It is used for different purposes by the food, cosmetics, hygiene and cleaning product industries. Oil Palm is a perennial crop, which starts producing after three years and reaches its peak in five years, and its production cycle can be maintained for up to 30 years with a mechanical extraction process. Other types of oil can be extracted from African oil palm: the oil from the fruit kernels (often used by the cosmetic industry) and the oil from the fruit pulp (a possibility for biodiesel production). According to research previously performed by Embrapa Western Amazon, oil palm fruits produce about 4,000 kg of oil per hectare, a yield that is much higher than soybeans, which produce 500 kg of oil per hectare on average. This makes it one of best raw materials available for biodiesel production. However, the production scale of this raw material in Brazil is not enough to meet the demand from the biofuel industry. Brazil's oil palm production today practically goes entirely to the food industry, in which it obtains the highest added value. Photo: Nilton Junqueira