Resin Assisted Purification of Anthocyanins and Their Encapsulation

A procedure to purify anthocyanin, a natural pigment, following a green approach by using macroporous resin and its encapsulation for the maintenance of its stability is described. This laboratory experiment, which describes the benefits of using resin for the purification, is a learning tool for students working in the field on nutraceuticals. The resin can be used several times by the students as it follows an adsorption-desorption technique. The whole experiment was divided into two sections: the first is the purification, and the second part deals with encapsulation. Students successfully purified the anthocyanins using XAD-16 resin from the solvent extract of purple cabbage. Afterward, encapsulation of purified anthocyanin in maltodextrin was done using a freeze-drying and spray-drying technique. Feedback from students clearly indicates that the laboratory practical session indeed helped them to learn the greener approach of purification and encapsulation using industrial techniques.