MICROENCAPSULATION OF ETHANOLIC LEMONGRASS EXTRACT THROUGH IONIC GELATION – EXTRUSION METHOD TO PRESERVE AGI ACTIVITY WITH CONTROLLED RELEASE ABILITY

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a critical global health issue, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current synthetic antidiabetic medications, while effective, often carry adverse effects that necessitate exploring safer alternatives. One of the potential a natural resource is Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) which has alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (AGI) activity. This study aims to develop a controlled release microcapsule of lemongrass extract with good AGI activity, ensured controlled release system, and has a moisture content ≤10%. Lemongrass was extracted using maceration method and microencapsulated by sodium alginate and chitosan using ionic gelation - extrusion method, followed by drying in a dehydrator. The best microencapsulation mixture was obtained from a 1.97:1:2 mass ratio of lemongrass extract TSS to chitosan to sodium alginate with an encapsulation efficiency of 89.29%±0.00 and 40℃ was chosen as the most suitable drying temperature. The AGI activity of the resulting dried microcapsules reached 9.326 % Inhibition in 24.67 mg/mL concentration and 81.55% of the lemongrass extract AGI activity was preserved. The microcapsule was proven to have a controlled release ability with a release of 67.10% ± 0.04 of its bioactive compound at the 12th hour. Furthermore, the phenolic content was also found to be positively correlated with the AGI activity produced by lemongrass extract.