Yacon powder mix: Effects of the composition and the process of microencapsulation by spray drying.

Yacon is a tuber known as a healthy food due to its effects as an antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and prebiotic agent; it is rich in fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and antioxidants, and due to its sweet taste and low-calorie content, it is used as a substitute for ordinary sugar. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of the composition of the feed and the microencapsulation process by spray drying (SD) on the properties of a yacon powder mixture (YP). Response surface methodology with a central composite design with a face-centered composition (α = 1) was used, considering the independent variables: inulin () (3-5% w/w), maltodextrin (MD) (3-5% w/w), air inlet temperature (AIT) (140-160 °C), air outlet temperature (AOT) (75-85 °C) and atomizer disc speed (ADS) (18000-22000 rpm), and the dependent variables: moisture (X), water activity (a), hygroscopicity (Hy), solubility (S), particle size (percentile D, D, and D), total phenols (TP), antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH), color (CIE-Lab*) and yield ().