<p>Lycopene is a lipophilic carotenoid, distinguished by its robust antioxidant capacity, was microencapsulated by spray drying, using citrus pectin as the encapsulating agent in the form of a biopolymeric mixture. The microparticles produced were characterized to assess the impact of wall material formulations on the physicochemical properties and stability of lycopene. The oily lycopene extract derived from tomato peels by-product served as the core material. Three formulations were tested: pectin/sodium alginate, pectin/gelatin, and pectin/maltodextrin. Lycopene in the microparticles was analyzed by HPLC. The resulting powders were evaluated for morphology, encapsulation efficiency (EE), moisture content, bulk density, and dissolution time. The stability and evolution of the antioxidant activity of microencapsulated lycopene were determined after 90-day storage under temperature and light conditions. Lycopene microparticles were successfully produced, with an EE of over 89%. SEM analysis revealed that the microparticles were spherical. The pectin/maltodextrin matrices exhibited favorable physical properties and a stronger correlation between retention efficiency (74.89%) and antioxidant activity (87.79%). The optimal storage stability of microencapsulated lycopene was achieved through the addition of sodium alginate as a texture modifier. The matrices comprising citrus pectin and sodium alginate demonstrated superior retention of lycopene and antioxidant capacity, with DPPH inhibition values ranging from 47.56 to 82.32% across all storage conditions. These findings indicate that the chemical composition of the wall materials influences the physicochemical characteristics and stability of microencapsulated lycopene. This study suggests that microencapsulation by spray drying, using citrus pectin as the encapsulating agent, represents an effective method for the protection and stabilization of lycopene.</p>