Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol with a large spectrum of pharmacological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antioxidant, among others. Due to its chemical instability, the incorporation of curcumin into carrier-based delivery systems has been proposed to improve its stabilization and bioavailability in the human body. The present work suggests the spray-drying technique for the encapsulation of curcumin and turmeric powder (with the active compound curcumin) using the polysaccharides pectin, maltodextrin, inulin and xanthan as encapsulating agents. A product yield between 7.52 and 60.60% was registered for all the micro-particles produced: empty, loaded with turmeric powder and loaded with curcumin. Microparticles with a spherical form, rough surface (pectin, maltodextrin and xanthan microparticles) and smooth surface (inulin microparticles) were produced. The fastest core compound release from curcumin- and turmeric powder-loaded microparticles was registered with inulin and maltodextrin, respectively. The most appropriate kinetic model to describe the registered release profiles is the Weibull model. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.