Encapsulated vaccinium extracts with balanced gastrointestinal release

1. An encapsulated Vaccinium fruit extract composition, comprising:

a) 0.5-50.0 wt. % Vaccinium fruit extract, and

b) 30-98.9 wt. % yeast cell autolysate, wherein the yeast cell autolysate comprises a fraction of water-insoluble constituents of the yeast cell autolysate, and a fraction of water-soluble constituents of the yeast cell autolysate,

and wherein the yeast cell autolysate is a product of incomplete yeast autolysis.

2. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a) 0.1-10.0 wt. % sodium chloride, and

b) 0.1-10.0 wt. % residual water.

3. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the Vaccinium fruit extract is an extract of berries selected from the group consisting of ( Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium vitis -idaea , Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Vaccinium microcarpum, Vaccinium gaultheroides, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium membranaceum, Vaccinium parvifolium, Vaccinium arboreturn, Vaccinium reticulatum, Vaccinium myrtilloides , and mixtures thereof.

4. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises anthocyans in amounts of 0.1-30 wt. % of dry solids of the composition.

5. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the yeast cell autolysate is an autolysate of Ascomycete cells:

of the Saccharomycetaceae family or

of the Cryptococcaceae family,

or a mixture of autolysates of two or more of these Ascomycetes.

6. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the total ratio by weight of the water-insoluble to soluble constituents of the yeast cell autolysate is in a range of 0.1:1 to 9:1.

7. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition is a pharmaceutical, nutritional or pleasureful composition.

8. A method of producing the encapsulated Vaccinium fruit extract composition of claim 1 comprising the steps:

a) providing a Vaccinium fruit extract,

b) providing a yeast cell autolysate comprising a fraction of water-insoluble constituents of the yeast cell autolysate and a fraction of water-soluble constituents of the yeast cell autolysate, wherein the yeast cell autolysate is a product of an incomplete yeast autolysis, and

c) mixing the Vaccinium fruit extract with the yeast cell autolysate fractions and water at a temperature of between 0 and 60° C. for a period of less than 4 hours to produce the encapsulated Vaccinium fruit extract composition.

9. An encapsulated Vaccinium fruit extract composition comprising a yeast cell autolysate and a Vaccinium fruit extract, wherein the Vaccinium fruit extract composition comprises 0.5-50.0 wt. % Vaccinium fruit extract and 30-98.9 wt. % yeast cell autolysate, wherein the yeast cell autolysate is a product of incomplete yeast autolysis, and wherein a ratio of Vaccinium fruit extract release in an individual's stomach to that in an individual's intestine is 0.3:1 to 3:1.