Abstract:
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), renowned for its health benefits, is now emerging as a trending and
convenient health supplement. Despite its nutritional advantages, the bitter taste and the limited availability of
soft gelatin capsules in the market often reduce treatment compliance. Thus, this study aimed to encapsulate
EVOO in alginate beads with consistent size and spherical shape by optimizing the EVOO concentration and
the extrusion distance. The research was conducted using varying concentrations of 1% (w/v), 2% (w/v), and
3% (w/v) while extrusion distances at 5 cm, 10 cm, and 15 cm. The size and shape of the beads were assessed through image analysis using Image J software. The spherical beads were successfully fabricated with a uniform size below 2.5 mm at 1% (w/v) EVOO concentration and the extrusion distance between the nozzle tips and the gelation bath solutions was optimized at 5 cm. The resulting beads exhibited an average diameter of 1.844 ± 0.02 mm with a sphericity factor of 0.005 ± 0.002. The study demonstrated that both the concentration and extrusion distance significantly influenced the size and shape of the beads
