Artemisia herba-alba Asso. is a medicinal plant rich in phenolic compounds with strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. However, these bioactive molecules are highly sensitive to environmental conditions, limiting their stability and potential applications. This study investigated, for the first time, the encapsulation of ethanolic extracts from the aerial parts of A. herba-alba by spray-drying, using maltodextrin (MD) and sodium caseinate (SC) as wall materials. The extract was obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction, and both free and encapsulated forms were analyzed for phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activity. Spray-dried microcapsules (SDE) were further characterized for encapsulation yield, efficiency, moisture, water activity, hygroscopicity, particle size, and structural integrity (SEM, ATR-FTIR, TGA/DTG). The process resulted in a high encapsulation yield (69.40%) and efficiency (96.39%), producing microcapsules with a small average size (10.05 ± 0.08 µm), low moisture (4.34%), low water activity (0.415), and moderate hygroscopicity (12.67%). Although the encapsulated extract showed lower total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activity compared to the free extract, SEM observations confirmed the formation of spherical, crack-free microcapsules, ATR-FTIR analysis revealed non-covalent interactions between wall materials and phenolics, and TGA/DTG demonstrated improved thermal stability. These results highlight spray-drying microencapsulation as an efficient approach to stabilize A. herba-alba phenolic compounds, offering promising applications as natural preservatives in the food industry.

This research aimed to optimize the extraction conditions of phenolic compounds by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) from Cornulaca monacantha Del., a species of the Chenopodiaceae family, using response surface methodology (RSM). A three-level Box–Behnken Design was used to investigate the following three factors of extraction conditions: solid-to-liquid ratio ($X_i$), extraction temperature ($X_j$), and extraction time ($X_k$). The optimized UAE extraction conditions obtained were: ($X_i$) = 0.5:10 g/mL, ($X_j$) = 45 °C, and ($X_k$) = 30 min. Once the extraction conditions of the phenolic compounds had been optimized, this protocol was applied to another plant of the same family, Anabasis articulata (Frossk.) Moq. The optimum values of extraction yield, total polyphenol content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) were respectively 14.68%, 37.27 (µg GAE/mg DE), and 7.21 (µg QE/mg DE) for Cornulaca monacantha Del., and 13.56%, 58.38 (µg GAE/mg DE), and 6.44 (µg QE/mg DE) for Anabasis articulata (Frossk.) Moq. Anabasis articulata (Frossk.) Moq. has a significantly higher antioxidant potential than Cornulaca monacantha Del. due to its high content of phenolic compounds (TPC). The high concentration of these plants in phenolic compounds validates their potential for traditional medicinal use.

The oxidative stability of butter enriched with an ethanolic extract of Artemisia herba-alba was evaluated in free and spray-dried microencapsulated forms. LC-HR-MS/MS identified 26 phenolic compounds, showing a total phenolic content of 94.55 ± 0.61 μg GAE/mg. Microcapsules were prepared using maltodextrin (DE19) and sodium caseinate. Four formulations (control, α-tocopherol 100 ppm, free extract 400 ppm, microencapsulated extract 400 ppm) were stored at 4 °C for 60 days. Oxidative stability was assessed through HS-SPME-GC–MS volatile profiling, CIELAB color analysis, sensory evaluation, and multivariate statistics. Lipid oxidation generated increasing levels of aldehydes, ketones, acids, and lactones, with the highest accumulation in control samples. While α-tocopherol showed the strongest protective effect, microencapsulation significantly reduced oxidation-related volatiles compared to the free extract and limited adverse sensory changes. These findings highlight spray-drying microencapsulation as an effective strategy to enhance the technological performance of plant phenolics in high-fat dairy systems.