<p>Abstract: The study aimed to optimize microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of phenolics from gilaburu fruit(GF) with the response surface method (RSM). GF was used to produce two functional products: The first one was encapsulated hydrogel beads GF (eGF) using ionic gelation and chitosan system, and the second one was a sugar-free functional beverage (FB) enriched with black carrot, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid. The optimal extraction conditions were determined to be 60 °C for temperature, 5 minutes for time, and 4.18 g/100 mL for solid/solvent ratio based on the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and extraction yield. The model was found to be sufficient for the successful prediction of experimental results. Chlorogenic acid was a major compound of GF, eGF, and sugar-free FB. The inhibition of α-glucosidase activity (%) for GF, eGF, and sugar-free FB was detected as 54, 92, and 77, respectively. These findings revealed that utilizing MAE may shorten the extraction of GF phenolics with low energy and maximum efficiency. Furthermore, GF, eGF, and HIGHLIGHTS • Gilaburu fruit functional enriched beverage was formulated for the first time.• MAE conditions of fruit were optimized with RSM for the first time.• The model was adequate for the accurate predictions of experiment results.• GF, eGF, and sugar-free FB have promising antioxidant and antidiabetic activities due to their rich bioactive and fortified compounds.Unsal Gedik, P.; et al. 2Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology. Vol.67: e24230018, 2024 www.scielo.br/babtsugar-free FB have promising antioxidant and antidiabetic activities due to their rich bioactive and fortified compounds. They may be regarded excellent sources of compounds for the functional food industry. Besides,they can be used to provide health benefits to diabetic patients and future consumers.Keywords: Gilaburu fruit; Response surface method; Microwave assisted extraction; Phenolic; Antidiabetic; Antioxidant<br></p>