Microencapsulation of propolis by spray drying: a review

Propolis, which is a bee glue is potentially a useful food additive since it contains antioxidant and preservative-like properties. However, its application in the food industry remains limited, due to its strong taste and low solubility. Microencapsulation is a technique that can improve its characteristics and the most widely used is spray drying. To obtain a spray-dried product with desired properties, optimization of both the encapsulating materials and equipment operating conditions are crucial. In this review, the use of different wall materials and operational conditions for spray drying of propolis are discussed, in order to guide selection of these parameters to obtain optimal spray dried microcapsules. In addition, comparison with other microencapsulation techniques is also discussed and pertinent industrial applications of spray-dried propolis given.