Encapsulation of pomegranate peel bioactive phenolic extract: laboratory proof-of-concept experiment, scale-up computer-aided batch process design, techno-economic feasibility and life cycle analysis

Abstract

Despite the proven antioxidant potential of Pomegranate Peel Extract (PPE), the lack of scalable, cost-effective, and systematically optimized processes for encapsulating PPE hinders its industrial application. This study presents an integrated laboratory proof-of-concept experiment, computer-aided batch process scale-up simulation, techno-economic assessment (TEA), and life cycle analysis (LCA) of PP bioactive phenolic extract microencapsulation via freeze-drying using a binary Gum Arabic and Maltodextrin wall system. Aspen Batch Process Developer (ABPD) was employed to simulate and scale the process across three production scenarios: mini-pilot (5 kg/day, Case 1), pilot-scale (100 kg/day, Case 2) and industrial-scale (5,000 kg/day, Case 3. The results were validated against experimental data with negligible deviation (MSE = 0.0001; MAPE = 0.06%). Physicochemical characterization confirmed high solubility (96.12%), low water activity (0.28), partial hygroscopicity (12.57%), and strong antioxidant capacity, collectively confirming functional stability for food and nutraceutical applications. TEA revealed progressive economic improvement with scale: Case 3 achieved the highest NPV ($18 million), the lowest levelized cost of production ($7.08/kg), and a strong IRR (53.9%). In contrast, Cases 1 and 2, which represented lower-scale setups, yielded lower NPVs and higher production costs. Monte Carlo simulation ( N = 10,000) identified selling price and annual production cost as the dominant profitability drivers, with Case 2 emerging as the most risk-adjusted investment pathway, achieving P(NPV > 0) of 91.9%. The LCA revealed that electrical energy consumption dominated environmental impacts. Freeze-drying alone accounted for 74.7–77.3% of total burdens and drove a GWP of 84.17 kg CO₂-eq per kg PPEP, highlighting energy management as the primary sustainability hotspot.