Abstract:In order to optimize the preparation process of natural carotene microcapsule powder from capsicum,natural carotene derived from capsicum was used as the raw material.The effects of modified starch dosage,vegetable oil dosage,emulsification time,and homogenization pressure on the average particle size and content of natural carotene microcapsule powder were investigated by single-factor experiments,and the preparation process of the microcapsule powder was optimized by an orthogonal test.The results showed that the optimum preparation conditions were as follows：modified starch dosage of 30 g,vegetable oil dosage of 13.5 g,emulsification time of 10 min,and homogenization pressure of 30 MPa.Under these conditions,the content of natural carotene in the microcapsule powder was more than 1.0%；the average particle size was less than 600 nm,and the embedding rate was more than 95%,with advantages including small particle size,good water solubility,and strong coloring capacity.