Encapsulated Malaysian Honey with Maltodextrin Using Freeze Drying for XRD Analysis

This study investigates the encapsulation of Malaysia honey (Tualang, Gelam and Kelulut) with maltodextrin using freeze drying to preserve bioactive compounds and enhance stability. Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide commonly used for encapsulation which provide a protective matrix that preserve honey from environmental degradation factors like moisture and oxygen. The freeze-drying process conducted at low temperatures, minimize thermal degradation and maintain the structural of honey component. The crystallinity and phase structure of the encapsulated honey are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) which is important for assessing the stability and release properties of the bioactive compounds in honey. Kelulut honey demonstrates the highest crystallinity index at 0.37% indicating a better organized structure, followed by Tualang and Gelam at 0.31% and 0.28% respectively compared to 0.26% for maltodextrin as a control. The highest intensity peaks for analysis were obtained at 1401.31 for Tualang and 1366.07 for Gelam respectively, which are below the Maltodextrin reference reading of 1444.93. Each honey exhibits an amorphous characteristic throughout its stated form. Thus, the findings prove that maltodextrin provides an affective encapsulation agent, enhancing structural stability and potential bioactive retention, while proving this method attractive for prolonged honey’s shelf life and other applications in functional food products.