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The increasing demand for healthy eating habits and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a health crisis and global economic slowdown, has led to the consumption of functional and practical foods. Bioactive ingredients can be an alternative for healthy food choices; however, most functional compounds are sensitive to the adverse conditions of processing and digestive tract, impairing its use in food matrices, and industrial-scale applications. Microencapsulation by spray chilling can be a viable alternative to reduce these barriers in food processing.This review discusses the use of spray chilling technique for microencapsulation of bioactive food ingredients. Although this technology is known in the pharmaceutical industry, it has been little exploited in the food sector. General aspects of spray chilling, the process parameters, advantages, and disadvantages are addressed. The feasibility and stability of encapsulated bioactive ingredients in food matrices and the bioavailability in vitro of solid lipid microparticles produced by spray chilling are also discussed.Research on the microencapsulation of bioactive ingredients by spray chilling for use in foods has shown the effectiveness of this technique to encapsulate bioactive compounds for application in food matrices. Solid microparticles produced by spray chilling can improve the stability and bioavailability of bioactive ingredients. However, further studies are required, including the use of lipid-based encapsulating agents, process parameters, and novel formulations for application in food, beverages, and packaging, as well as in vivo studies to prove the effectiveness of the formulations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical, physicochemical, rheological, and morphological properties and antioxidant capacity of thyme essential oil encapsulated by spray drying; as well ...

The encapsulation capacity and the polymer blends containing gum Arabic (GA), inulin (IN), and cellulose nanofibrils ginger (CNFG), extracted from the fibrous ginger residues, for the microencapsul...

Research background. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) essential oil exhibits antimicrobial and antioxidant properties due to the presence of α-citral and β-citral. Essential oils are susceptible to volatilization and oxidation when applied to food matrices. Therefore, a barrier is needed to protect this material. The present study aims to produce microparticles containing lemongrass essential oil, with gum arabic and maltodextrin using spray drying technology. Experimental approach. Lemongrass essential oil was extracted by the hydrodistillation method and later microencapsulated with different wall materials. Free and microencapsulated lemongrass essential oil was evaluated for the cytotoxic activity (using Artemia salina as test sample), chemical composition (GC-MS), encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP), antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration. Results and conclusions. The lethal concentration (LC50) of lemongrass essential oil in the cytotoxic test was 8.43 μg/mL against Artemia salina; a high activity that can be associated with the presence of α-citral (~33%) and β-citral (~21%) in the samples, since these were the main compounds with bioactive properties. The highest value of microencapsulation efficiency (88.11%) was obtained when only gum arabic was used as wall material. In general, the microparticles showed satisfactory antioxidant activity (expressed as Trolox equivalents, between 348.66 and 2042.30 µmol/100 g) and bactericidal effect in vitro against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms. In conclusion, the microencapsulated lemongrass essential oil is a promising functional additive in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Novelty and scientific contribution. This study shows that microparticles containing lemongrass essential oil can be prepared using gum arabic and maltodextrin as wall materials by spray drying, resulting in high microencapsulation efficiency. The drying process maintained the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the essential oil. Therefore, the microencapsulated lemongrass essential oil is considered a natural, functional and promising additive in the food industry. Its antimicrobial action can increase the shelf life of fresh and semi-fresh products such as cheese, yogurts and meat products. In addition, its antioxidant action can delay the lipid and protein oxidation in food products., Pozadina istraživanja. Eterično ulje limunske trave (Cymbopogon flexuosus) sadržava α- i β-citral, zbog čega ima antimikrobni i antioksidacijski učinak. Eterična ulja hlape i oksidiraju nakon dodavanja hrani, pa ih treba zaštititi pomoću omotača. Svrha je ovoga rada bila postupkom sušenja raspršivanjem pomoću gume arabike i maltodekstrina proizvesti mikročestice koje sadržavaju eterično ulje limunske trave. Eksperimentalni pristup. Eterično ulje limunske trave dobiveno je postupkom hidrodestilacije, nakon čega je mikroinkapsulirano u različitim materijalima. Ispitani su citotoksični učinak (na larvama račića Artemia salina kao testnom uzorku), kemijski sastav (metodom GC-MS), učinkovitost inkapsulacije, antioksidacijski učinak (metodama DPPH, ABTS i FRAP), antimikrobni učinak i minimalna inhibicijska koncentracija eteričnog ulja limunske trave u izvornom obliku te u mikrokapsulama. Rezultati i zaključci. Smrtonosna koncentracija (LC50) eteričnog ulja limunske trave pri ispitivanju citotoksičnosti na larvama račića bila je 8,43 μg/mL. Povećana citotoksičnost povezuje se sa prisustvom α-citrala (≈33 %) i β-citrala (≈21 %), jer su to glavni spojevi s bioaktivnim svojstvima u uzorcima. Najveća učinkovitost mikroinkapsulacije (88,11 %) postignuta je kad je guma arabika korištena kao materijal za inkapsulaciju. Općenito su mikročestice imale zadovoljavajući antioksidacijski (između 348,66 i 2042,30 µmol/100 g, izraženu u Trolox ekvivalentima) i in vitro baktericidni učinak na Gram-pozitivne i Gram-negativne bakterije. Može se zaključiti da se eterično ulje limunske kiseline može koristiti kao funkcionalni dodatak u prehrambenoj i farmaceutskoj industriji. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Istraživanje je pokazalo da se mikročestice eteričnog ulja limunske trave mogu dobiti korištenjem gume arabike i maltodekstrina kao materijala za inkapsulaciju u postupku sušenja raspršivanjem, s velikim učinkom inkapsulacije. Postupkom sušenja raspršivanjem zadržana su antimikrobna i antioksidacijska svojstva eteričnog ulja. Stoga se mikroinkapsulirano eterično ulje limunske trave smatra prirodnim, funkcionalnim i prikladnim dodatkom u prehrambenoj industriji. Njegovo antimikrobno djelovanje može produljiti trajnost svježih i polusvježih proizvoda, kao što su sir, jogurt i mesni proizvodi. Osim toga, njegovo antioksidacijsko djelovanje može usporiti oksidaciju proteina i lipida u prehrambenim proizvodima.

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical, morphological, and gastrointestinal release properties of an anthocyanin-rich extract of grapes in alginate and pectin beads as carriers; the effects of ultrasonic gelation combined with emulsification were also investigated. In general, the alginate beads showed smaller size and more regular shape compared to pectin. The effect of emulsification combined with ionic gelation was more pronounced in the alginate beads and resulted in higher retention of anthocyanins, higher antioxidant capacity, and also allowed the best release profile during intestinal digestion. Thus, the simultaneous strategy could be an interesting delivery system and enhance the release of anthocyanins, providing an opportunity for the development of ingredients with different bioactive properties.

Lemongrass (Lemongrass essential oil was extracted by the hydrodistillation method and later microencapsulated with different wall materials. Free and microencapsulated lemongrass essential oil was evaluated for the cytotoxic activity (usingThe lethal concentration (LCThis study shows that microparticles containing lemongrass essential oil can be prepared using gum arabic and maltodextrin as wall materials by spray drying, resulting in high microencapsulation efficiency. The drying process maintained the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the essential oil. Therefore, the microencapsulated lemongrass essential oil is considered a natural, functional and promising additive in the food industry. Its antimicrobial action can increase the shelf life of fresh and semi-fresh products such as cheese, yogurts and meat products. In addition, its antioxidant action can delay the lipid and protein oxidation in food products.

The probiotic strains Lactobacillus brevis CCMA1284 and Lactobacillus plantarum CCMA0359 were microencapsulated by spray drying using different matrices – whey powder (W), whey powder with inulin (WI) and whey powder with maltodextrin (WM). Viability of the microencapsulated strains in acid and bile juices and during 90 days of storage (seven and 25 °C) was evaluated. The two strains exhibited high encapsulation efficiency (> 86%) by spray drying. The different matrices maintained L. plantarum viability above six log CFU g⁻¹ at 7 °C for 90 days, whereas similar results for L. brevis were observed only for W. The use of inulin as matrix of encapsulation did not enhance bacterial viability in the evaluated conditions. In general, the use of W and WM as matrices was effective for L. plantarum viability. However, only W was effective for L. brevis in the evaluated conditions. The spray drying technique was successfully adopted for the encapsulation of L. plantarum CCMA0359 and L. brevis CCMA1284 strains.

This present work aimed to evaluate the encapsulation of bioactive compounds extracted from espresso spent coffee, applying the spray drying technique. The use of whey protein isolated (WPI) as wall material, and the combination with maltodextrin (MD), Arabic gum (AG) and inulin (IN) (1:1 proportion) to retain the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity were also assessed. The contents of phenolic compounds, caffeine and chlorogenic acids were determined in order to evaluate the encapsulation efficiency of each treatment. Additional analyses for characterization of the samples were also performed. It was possible to obtain particles of spherical shape with no cracks on the surface. The use of WPI showed greater efficiency in the maintenance of the antioxidant activity measured by different methods. The encapsulates obtained carried and protected considerable amounts of antioxidants present in the coffee, which were extracted from processing wastes.

In this study, we evaluated the emulsifying properties of the hydrocolloids extracted from ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata Miller) (HOPN) in soy oil emulsions (20% w/w) in water after different processing conditions. These properties were evaluated in terms of index of creaming, activity and emulsifying stability, electrical conductivity, zeta potential, rheology, particle size distribution, and optical microscopy. A two-level factorial was used to evaluate the effects of changes in pH (4–7), sucrose concentration (0–15% w/w), and NaCl concentration (0–1% w/w) and different processing conditions. This study has important implications for the application of HOPN in the food industry, since it was found that the HOPN were efficient in forming emulsions with desirable characteristics under all conditions and that the presence of sucrose favored the characteristics of these emulsions. However, the presence of NaCl and acidic pH negatively influenced these characteristics leading to the conclusion that, under these conditions, the HOPN should be used in synergy with a stabilizing agent.

Objetivo: avaliar os parâmetros morfométricos e a quantidade de tecidos adiposos de ratos alimentados com resíduos da lichia. Métodos: na etapa 1, os animais foram divididos em grupo C (controle) e grupo H (dieta hipercalórica); enquanto, na etapa 2, os animais do grupo C permaneceram neste grupo, e os demais foram divididos no grupo H, grupo HCL (10% de farinha da casca de lichia), e o grupo HSL (10% de farinha da semente de lichia). Avaliaram-se os Índices de Massa Corporal (IMC) e de Lee; o consumo alimentar, o Coeficiente de Eficiência Alimentar e a Digestibilidade Aparente; os Índices Hepato-Somático, de Gordura Visceral e de Gordura Epididimal. Compararam-se os dados pelo Teste de Tukey a 5%. Resultados: não houve diferença estatística quanto o peso corporal, o IMC, o consumo alimentar, e o Índice Hepato-Somático. O grupo HCL não diferiu do grupo C quanto ao Coeficiente de Eficiência Alimentar e à quantidade dos tecidos adiposos (visceral e epididimal). Os grupos que receberam as farinhas de lichia não diferiram do grupo C quanto ao ganho de peso e ao Índice de Lee; entretanto, apresentaram menor Índice de Gordura Epididimal que o grupo H e maior que o grupo C, embora o grupo controle (C) apresentasse menor Digestibilidade Aparente das dietas nas duas avaliações. Conclusão: a farinha da casca de lichia apresentou os melhores resultados, uma vez que não diferiu do grupo controle (C) para alguns parâmetros morfométricos e a quantidade dos tecidos adiposos, sugerindo que as fibras e os polifenóis dessa farinha promoveram os efeitos identificados neste estudo.

In the present paper, films and nanofibers of zein and zein/tryptophan were produced by casting and eletrospinning.The films and nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and controlled release and digestibility tests. In vitro releasing of tryptophan was evaluated using a spectrophotometer UV–Vis. Interactions between tryptophan and zein were confirmed by thermal (TGA) and spectral (FTIR) analyses. SEM micrographs provided evidence of a smooth and homogeneous structure for films and nanofibers without and with tryptophan. FTIR spectroscopy indicated second-degree intermolecular interactions between amide groups of zein and tryptophan. X-ray analysis indicated the formation of crystals that did not interfere with the crystallization of amino acid. By in vitro release experiments, it was possible to observe that the tryptophan releasing follows nearly Korsmeyer–Peppas model for the nanofibers and Peppas–Sahlin model for films, indicating the releasing process of the nanofibers are by diffusion of the amino acid and, for films, by relaxion of polymeric chain. Finally, in vitro digestibility a considerable amount of tryptophan was observed, suggesting more access of fishes for tryptophan.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity, rheological behaviour, oxidative stability, and antibacterial potential of coffee oils (Coffea arabica L.). The extraction process took place from green and roasted beans, by cold pressing, and filtration via filtering card. The experimental design consisted of five treatments: R100 (100% roasted oil); R75G25 (75% roasted oil and 25% green oil); R50G50 (50% roasted oil and 50% green oil); R25G75 (25% roasted oil and 75% green oil), and G100 (100% green oil). The treatment R75G25 showed a higher content of total phenolic compounds and higher DPPH• and ABTS•+ anti-radical efficiency. Regarding rheological behaviour, all coffee oils can be characterized as Newtonian fluids because the shear stress and strain rate varied linearly, with the line intersecting at zero. The treatments R75G25 and R25G75 showed a longer oxidation induction time, in the oxidative stability analysis, in addition to antibacterial activity having been verified for all oil samples. Besides that, the investigated green and roasted coffee oils are sources of fatty acids, including from the omega 3, 6, and 9 classes. Therefore, the use of arabica coffee oil mixtures as natural preservatives in food can be considered a promising alternative for the partial replacement of chemical additives in food matrices and in cosmetic formulations allowing the development of innovative products. El propósito del estudio fue evaluar la actividad antioxidante, comportamiento reológico, estabilidad oxidativa y potencial antibacteriano de aceites de café (Coffea arabica L.). El proceso de extracción se realizó a partir de granos crudos y tostados, mediante prensado en frío y filtración por tarjeta filtrante. El diseño experimental consistió en cinco tratamientos: R100 (100% aceite tostado); R75G25 (75% de aceite tostado y 25% de aceite crudo); R50G50 (50% de aceite tostado y 50% de aceite crudo); R25G75 (25% aceite tostado y 75% aceite crudo) y G100 (100% aceite crudo). El tratamiento R75G25 tuvo un mayor contenido de compuestos fenólicos totales y una mayor eficacia anti-radicales DPPH• y ABTS•+. En cuanto al comportamiento reológico, todos los aceites de café se pueden caracterizar como fluidos newtonianos, ya que el esfuerzo cortante y la velocidad de deformación variaron linealmente, con la línea interceptada en cero. Los tratamientos R75G25 y R25G75 mostraron un mayor tiempo de inducción de oxidación, en el análisis de estabilidad oxidativa, además de que se haya verificado la actividad antibacteriana de todas las muestras de aceite. Además, los aceites de café crudo y tostado investigados son fuentes de ácidos grasos, incluidas las clases omega 3, 6 y 9. Por lo tanto, el uso de mezclas de aceite de café arábica como conservantes naturales en los alimentos puede considerarse una alternativa prometedora para la sustitución parcial de aditivos químicos en matrices alimentarias y em formulaciones cosméticas que permitan el desarrollo de productos innovadores. A proposta do estudo foi avaliar a atividade antioxidante, o comportamento reológico, a estabilidade oxidativa e o potencial antibacteriano de óleos de café (Coffea arabica L.). O processo de extração ocorreu a partir de grãos crus e torrados, por prensagem a frio e filtração por cartão filtrante. O delineamento experimental constou de cinco tratamentos: R100 (100% de óleo torrado); R75G25 (75% de óleo torrado e 25% de óleo cru); R50G50 (50% de óleo torrado e 50% de óleo cru); R25G75 (25% de óleo torrado e 75% de óleo cru); e G100 (100% de óleo cru). O tratamento R75G25 apresentou maior teor de compostos fenólicos totais e maior eficiência anti-radical DPPH• e ABTS•+. Em relação ao comportamento reológico, todos os óleos de café podem ser caracterizados como fluidos newtonianos, pois a tensão de cisalhamento e a taxa de deformação variaram linearmente, com a reta interceptando no zero. Os tratamentos R75G25 e R25G75 apresentaram maior tempo de indução à oxidação, na análise da estabilidade oxidativa, além de atividade antibacteriana ter sido verificada para todas as amostras de óleo. Além disso, os óleos de café cru e torrado investigados são fontes de ácidos graxos, inclusive das classes ômega 3, 6 e 9. Portanto, a utilização de misturas de óleos de café arábica como conservantes naturais em alimentos pode ser considerada uma alternativa promissora para a substituição parcial de aditivos químicos em matrizes alimentares e em formulações de cosméticos permitindo o desenvolvimento de produtos inovadores.

Different types of nanoscale components are being tested in the food microencapsulation process, in order to ensure better barrier properties. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the properties of spray‐dried microparticles containing sweet orange essential oil produced using gum Arabic and maltodextrin as wall materials incorporated with cellulose nanofibrils. Therefore, both cellulose nanofibrils (morphology) and microparticles (load capacity, moisture adsorption isotherms, X‐ray diffractometry, thermogravimetry, and morphology) were characterized. The treatments containing gum Arabic and cellulose nanofibrils showed better results regarding load capacity (17% w/w). The moisture adsorption isotherms showed that replacing gum Arabic by maltodextrin the equilibrium moisture of the microparticles with and without cellulose nanofibrils were decreased. The presence of cellulose nanofibrils increased the thermal stability of the microcapsules, while higher maltodextrin concentration decreased thermal stability. The microparticles had spherical morphology and roughened surface for all treatments. Therefore, cellulose nanofibrils have potential use for application in the spray‐drying process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: With the development of new technologies, there is great potential for encapsulation of blended polymeric formulations with an innovative approach in presence of nanoscale components. Cellulose nanofibrils offer structural and mechanical properties and act as a thickener and a physical barrier allowing stabilization of the interface oil/water, what contributes to the improvement of the properties of the essential oil microparticles.

The effects of the emulsification method [either mechanical agitation or ultrasonication (US)] and proportion of gum arabic (GA)/maltodextrin (MD) on the characteristics of feed emulsions and microparticles containing Indian clove essential oil produced by spray drying were investigated. Emulsions produced using US were more stable with smaller droplets, lower polydispersity indexes, and higher viscosities. Increasing the proportion of GA resulted in an increased particle size. Powders produced by US exhibited a higher moisture content and hygroscopicity. The US improved oil retention, except for microparticles comprised GA. Powders with a higher proportion of MD exhibited smooth surfaces.

The characteristics and encapsulating potential of blended polymeric formulations containing gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MD), and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) for microencapsulation of sweet orange essential oil were evaluated in this study. CNF acted as a thickener, increasing emulsion viscosity. The droplet size was affected by the partial replacement of GA in the formulations without CNF; however, the presence of CNF contributed to decreasing the droplet size. CNF-containing formulations had the best encapsulation efficiency. Images obtained by microscopy showed no cracks on the surface of the microparticles. CNF-containing formulations released more essential oil at 25 °C and presented different behaviors when compared to formulations without CNF at 45 °C. The presence of CNF in the wall material formulations was associated with higher encapsulation efficiency of the particles containing essential oil produced by the spray drying.

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of the partial replacement of whey protein isolate (WPI), by maltodextrin (MD) and by inulin (IN), on the characteristics of spray-dried pequi oil and on the degradation of its bioactive compounds. Three treatments, WPI, WPI/MD (1:1), and WPI/IN (1:1), were carried out, and the characteristics of the emulsions and microparticles were evaluated. In addition, thermal analysis, X-ray, and scanning electron microscopy of microparticles were carried out. It was found that the solubility of the encapsulations was affected by the composition of the wall material and reached higher value (88.26%) when IN was applied. The encapsulation efficiency (74.49%) was lower with IN. The particles presented amorphous characteristics, and the treatments WPI and WPI/IN exhibited smoother and spherical morphology. WPI and WPI/MD showed greater thermal stability and also better protection of the antioxidative capacity of the oil through the β-carotene bleaching assay. The WPI system showed better protection of β-carotene, δ-carotene, and lycopene, compared to the bulk oil, while WPI/MD protected better the γ-carotene and WPI/IN showed better protection of α-carotene.

The aim of this work was to study the use of different prebiotic biopolymers in lime essential oil microencapsulation. Whey protein isolate, inulin and oligofructose biopolymers were used. The addition of prebiotic biopolymers reduced emulsion viscosity, although it produced larger droplet sizes (0.31-0.32 µm). Moisture values (2.94-3.13 g/100 g dry solids) and water activity (0.152-0.185) were satisfactory, being within the appropriate range for powdered food quality. Total oil content, limonene retention values and antioxidant activity of the microparticles containing essential oil decreased in the presence of the carbohydrates. The addition of prebiotic biopolymers reduced the microparticle thermal stability. X-ray diffraction confirmed the amorphous characteristic of the microparticles and the interaction of the essential oil with the wall material. The presence of prebiotic biopolymers can be a good alternative for lime essential oil microparticles, mainly using fibre that has a functional food appeal and can improve consumer health.

This study seeks to evaluate the influence of different dextrose equivalent values on the characteristics of emulsions assisted by ultrasound and lime essential oil microparticles. Four treatments were evaluated: whey protein concentrate (WPC), and blends of maltodextrin with dextrose equivalents of 5 (WM5), 10 (WM10) and 20 (WM20). The physicochemical properties of the emulsions (viscosity and droplet size) and dry powders, by spray drying (moisture content, water activity, particle size, surface oil, encapsulation efficiency, oil and limonene retention, x-ray diffraction, thermal and antioxidant activity analysis), were studied to measure the quality of the encapsulated materials. Maltodextrins with high DE values (10 and 20) had lower viscosities and consequently smaller droplet and particle sizes. The treatments showed significantly different and good retention for the majority compounds of the lime essential oil and maintained high antioxidant activity. Maltodextrin of DE 20 presented better significant oil retention values (77.6%) and encapsulation efficiency (83.3%). In conclusion, the degree of maltodextrin hydrolyzation can interfere with the physicochemical parameters of lime essential oil microparticles, observing the best results at higher DE values.

The objective of this study was to investigate the kinetic stability of lime essential oil emulsion using gum arabic (GA) and whey protein isolate (WPI) biopolymers as emulsifiers and stabilizers. ...

Evaluation of cashew gum compared to conventional materials was conducted regarding properties and oxidative stability of spray-dried fish oil. Emulsions produced with cashew gum showed lower viscosity when compared to Arabic gum. The particle size was larger (29.9 μm) when cashew gum was used, and the encapsulation efficiency reached 76%, similar to that of modified starch but higher than that for Arabic gum (60%). The oxidation process for the surface oil was conducted and a relative lower formation of oxidation compounds was observed for the cashew gum treatment. GAB model was chosen to describe the moisture adsorption isotherm behaviours. Microparticles produced using Arabic and cashew gums showed greater water adsorption when exposed to higher relative humidities. Microparticles produced using cashew gum were more hygroscopic however encapsulation efficiency were higher and surface oil oxidation were less pronounced. Cashew gum can be further explored as an encapuslant material for spray drying processes.

There is a growing demand for functional foods. Foods containing plant extracts with antioxidant properties, polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals are the main targets of this consumption trend. However, many of these components are unstable under normal conditions or exhibit a residual taste, limiting their application. Thus, it is necessary to use techniques that can guarantee the stability of these functional constituents and allow their application in diverse food matrices. Various sectors of the food industry have a demand for the enrichment of foods with functional compounds. The major challenge in the use of enriched foods is to obtain stable products and maintain their functional properties during processing and storage until consumption.

The aim of this study was to include prebiotic biopolymers as wall material in microparticles of lime essential oil. Whey protein isolate (WPI), inulin (IN), and oligofructose (OL) biopolymers were used in the following combinations: WPI, WPI/IN (4:1), and WPI/OL (4:1). The emulsion droplets in the presence of inulin and oligofructose showed larger sizes on reconstitution. There was no significant difference in solubility of the particles, but the wettability was improved on addition of the polysaccharides. The size of the oligofructose chains favored the adsorption of water. Prebiotic biopolymers reduced thermal and chemical stability of the encapsulated oil. Microparticles produced with WPI showed a higher bioactive compound release rate, mainly due to its structural properties, that enabled rapid diffusion of oil through the pores. The use of prebiotic biopolymers can be a good option to add value to encapsulated products, thus promoting health benefits.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the encapsulating matrix on producing spray-dried ginger essential oil powders using blends of gum Arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MD) and inulin (IN) as wall materials. The effects of emulsification process assisted by ultrasonication on kinetic stabilization of emulsions used as the feeding liquid in the spray drying were evaluated. The emulsions obtained by using ultrasound were more stable and presented smaller droplets (≤2.03 ± 0.01 μm). The use of MD and IN together with GA improved the wettability of the powders (245 ± 21 s). GA:MD powders adsorbed less water vapour than other treatments under the same storage conditions. The partial replacement of GA by MD affected considerably the encapsulation efficiency showing the higher value for this parameter (93.0 ± 0.8%). Larger microparticles were observed in the powders prepared with GA (15.44 ± 0.13 μm) or a mixture of GA and MD (15.83 ± 0.14 μm). The physical and chemical properties of the microparticles were substantially modified by using IN or MD together with GA. Based on the studied properties, the microparticles produced with GA and MD were considered to present the better characteristics for wettability, encapsulation efficiency and higroscopicity.

Beetroot juice powders produced by spray drying under different temperatures and inulin:whey protein isolate (IN:WPI) ratios as carrier agents were evaluated. When it was used higher temperature, higher WPI concentration resulted in particles with higher betalains content (412.2 mg/100 g d.b.). For the antioxidant activity, values were found in a range of 61.5–90.8%. The color parameter values of the beetroot juice powders indicated intermediate lightness and saturation of coloring, which was closer to red. The mathematical model that best adjusted to the adsorption isotherms was the GAB and the monolayer moisture contents were between 5.1 and 6.5 g/100 g (d.b.). The higher concentration of IN resulted in lower stability of the powders when stored in environments with different water activities. Temperature of 170°C and IN:WPI proportion of 1:2 provided the best properties to the beetroot juice powder, which has the potential for the use and aggregation of functional properties in food matrices. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The use of natural colorant in processed foods and beverages is important for increasing the consumer acceptability of these products and beetroots are an excellent source of betalains, quite used by the food industry as a natural colorant. The results of this study represent the possibility of the attainment of an extract powder rich in betalains, being formed of polymeric materials with innovation grade for the food industry by applying them in food matrices to create synergy between the functional properties of several products.

Background A viable possibility for the best use of bioactive compounds present in camu-camu, fruit native to the Amazonian rainforest, is the preparation of microcapsules using different biopolymers by the spray-drying technique, which would increase the possibilities for innovation in the food industry, as well as facilitate the application in different food matrices. In this context, the chemical, physicochemical, and morphological properties and stability of camu-camu extract (peel and pulp) spray-dried using maltodextrin, inulin, and oligofructose as encapsulating agents were investigated, as well as lyophilized camu-camu extract (CEL). Different relative humidities (22%, 51%, and 75%) and temperatures (25 °C and 45 °C) were evaluated. Results The moisture, water activity, and solubility values varied from 18.4 to 107.9 g water per kilogram dry powder, 0.06 to 0.27, and 950.80 to 920.28 g microparticles per kilogram of water respectively. Retention of the bioactive compounds varied in the ranges 5.5-7.1 g per kilogram ascorbic acid fresh weight and 7.2-9.0 g per kilogram anthocyanins fresh weight. The increase in temperature and relative humidity during storage provided a significant decrease in the stability of the bioactive compounds for all treatments. However, the CEL presented higher water adsorption kinetics and degradation under all storage conditions, indicating the importance of the use of encapsulating agents. Conclusion In general, the prebiotic biopolymers used as encapsulating agents in the microencapsulation of extracts of camu-camu by spray-drying presented satisfactory results, suggesting that this technique is an effective strategy to increase the stability of bioactive compounds contained in fruits and vegetables. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

The use of lemongrass oil as food preservative present great potential, however it has high volatility and intense aroma, making them limited to be used as food additives. Microencapsulation processes become interesting alternatives to overcome these issues. This work investigated the influence of the partial replacement of gum arabic by modified starches on the microencapsulation of lemongrass oil as core material. Gum arabic and its combinations with modified starches: cassava and corn maltodextrins with different dextrose equivalent (DE) and octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch (OSA-starch) were studied. The emulsions were spray dried at controlled temperature of 170 °C. The evaluated parameters particles solubility, moisture content, and oil composition did not showed significant differences among the treatments. Replacement of gum arabic by maltodextrin DE20 and OSA-starch resulted in higher wetting times. Oil retention was increased (81.2%) when gum arabic was replaced by OSA-starch; the treatment without substitution, with only gum arabic had 67.5% of oil retention. Application of OSA-starch in association with gum arabic in microencapsulation by spray drying of lemongrass oil presented greater potential to be used due to its higher oil retention. Polymer blends should be assessed since they present advantages over individually applied polymers. Although maltodextrins show some differences compared to the treatment with only gum arabic, it may also be a viable alternative because of its lower cost.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of process conditions on the properties of ginger essential oil microencapsulated by spray drying, using whey protein isolate and inulin as encapsulating agents. The treatment with 30% addition in wall material resulted in the largest droplet size in the emulsion. The wettability, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, and polydispersity index were significantly affected by the two analyzed factors. Through the optimization process, the results indicate that moderate wall material concentrations (22.34%) and high inlet air temperature (170°C) were the best conditions for the ginger essential oil spray drying process.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the blending of whey protein isolate (WPI) with maltodextrin (MD) and inulin (IN) biopolymers as encapsulating matrices for spray-dried ginger essential oil. Encapsulation was performed by ultrasound-assisted emulsification and using spray drying, and the stability parameters of the emulsion (with or without ultrasound-assisted) were evaluated. The influence of these different wall material systems was investigated based on various functional properties of microparticles such as stability of the emulsion, encapsulation efficiency, reconstitution properties, chemical profile, microparticle stability, morphology, particle size distribution, and crystallinity. Higher viscosity values were obtained for the emulsions prepared with WPI and IN which had the apparent viscosity increased by the ultrasound-assisted emulsification process. Creaming index values indicated that ultrasound-assisted emulsions had higher stability. The composition of the wall materials did not affect the solubility and the moisture content of the particles. The wettability property of the powders was improved by the addition of IN. The lowest level of water adsorption under conditions of high relative humidity was also observed in microparticles containing IN. The partial replacement of WPI by MD significantly affected the efficiency of encapsulation. Moreover, MD led to high thermal microparticle stability. Larger particles were observed in the powders prepared with WPI. The powders obtained from WPI, WPI:IN, and WPI:MD treatments exhibited amorphous structures and did not have any cracks on the surface. The findings of this study indicate that IN and MD together with WPI proved to be good alternative secondary wall materials for spray-dried ginger oil.

Benzoic acid is widely used as a preservative in the food and feed industry, and microencapsulation is important in the application of this ingredient in various food products. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of benzoic acid concentration and drying air temperature on the physical characteristics of powders produced by spray drying, using maltodextrin and modified starch as the wall materials. A rotatable central composite design was used; the independent variables were inlet air temperature (145–180 °C) and benzoic acid concentration (2–10 %, m/m). Maximum yield was obtained when higher concentrations of benzoic acid and higher inlet air temperatures were applied. The highest microencapsulation efficiency was reached at intermediate temperatures (160 °C) and low concentration of benzoic acid. The particles size (D [4,3]) ranged from 24.99 to 29.52 μm and, in general, presented amorphous structure, spherical shape with rough surfaces and had no cracks The optimum condition, considering all the response variables together, was drying air temperature 169 °C and benzoic acid concentration 6 % (m/m). Under these conditions, the particles presented solubility of 75.96 g/100 g and wettability of 56.8 s/g. Moreover, the process showed microencapsulation efficiency of 76.77 g/100 g and yield of 40.1 %. Spray drying was considered a potential process to provide microencapsulated benzoic acid.

The objective of this study was to obtain araticum pulp powder through thin layer convective air drying. Inulin was used as a drying aid agent. Different drying temperatures (70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C) and inulin contents (20 g/100 g and 30 g/100 g) were evaluated. Drying curves were obtained and analyses of the dried product were performed in terms of moisture, wettability, solubility, bulk tapped density, color, moisture sorption isotherms, and X-ray diffraction. The Page model was suitable for describing the drying kinetics from the experimental data. The drying process occurred faster as temperature increased; moreover, the presence of inulin did not influence drying kinetics. Powders produced using inulin as a drying aid showed lower moisture contents and satisfactory wettability results; however, treatments without inulin produced powders with better solubility. The use of different drying temperatures did not significantly change the color of the powders. The Guggenheim, Anderson, and de Boer (GAB) model was applied to describe the isotherms' behaviors. The presence of inulin significantly affected moisture adsorption, contributing to the production of powders with lower hygroscopicity. The use of inulin in the drying process of araticum pulp is a suitable process and positively affected the characteristics of the dried product.

Objetivo: Avaliar o conhecimento e a aceitação dos frutos do Cerrado Annona crassiflora Mart. (araticum) e Eugenia dysenterica Mart. (cagaita), por crianças, utilizando o paladar e a visão. Métodos: O estudo foi realizado com 190 crianças com idade entre 7 anos e 9 anos e 11 meses da Escola Estadual Professor José Luiz de Araújo no município de Rio Paranaíba (MG), nos meses de março e novembro de 2012. Para a avaliação utilizando o paladar, as crianças foram direcionadas individualmente a uma sala onde foram vendadas, sendo os frutos oferecidos in natura. Para a avaliação por meio da visão, os frutos foram apresentados em sua forma íntegra. As respostas foram analisadas utilizando o Teste Qui-Quadrado, com 5% de significância. Resultados: Com relação à identificação dos frutos, a porcentagem de acerto foi de apenas 1,58% (tanto paladar quanto visão) para o araticum, e de 14,39% (paladar) e 13,67% (visão) para a cagaita. O número de crianças que relatou nunca ter experimento estes frutos anteriormente foi maior (p0,05) quanto à apreciação/depreciação do araticum por ambos os sentidos, exceto para os meninos que depreciaram este fruto visualmente, já a cagaita apresentou apreciação superior (pConclusão: A maioria das crianças apresentou um baixo conhecimento sobre ambos os frutos, pois não os haviam experimentado anteriormente; no entanto, foram bem aceitos sensorialmente.

Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia [H.B.K] McVaugh) is a Amazonian fruit rich in ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds, and has been attracting great interest from the food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries due to its potential health benefits. The bioactive compounds from camu-camu are considered sensitive and unstable, resulting in nutritional losses and impairment of its commercialization and export. For this reason, the camu-camu extract (pulp and peel) was subjected to microencapsulation by spray drying process using maltodextrin (MD), inulin (IN), and oligofructose (OL) as carrier agents. Lyophilized in natura camu-camu extract (CEL) was also evaluated. Thus, physicochemical and thermal properties and controlled release at different temperatures (25 °C and 35 °C) were investigated. In contrast with the IN and OL microparticles, the MD microparticles showed lower density and hygroscopicity, besides greater thermal stability, antioxidant activity, and retention of ascorbic acid and anthocyanins. FTIR spectra allowed the qualitative evidence of encapsulation of the bioactive compounds from the camu-camu extract. The highest percentage of volatile compounds was observed in IN microparticles, followed by OL and MD microparticles. The major group of compounds identified in CEL were terpenes (88%). The Korsmeyer-Peppas mathematical model allowed to describe the controlled release behavior of ascorbic acid and anthocyanins in the powder extracts. The controlled release followed a Fickian diffusion mechanism (n ≤ 0.43). The increase of temperature from 25 °C to 35 °C influenced on the release of bioactive compounds in all treatments, showing greater release for MD microparticles. The encapsulating materials were considered effective for the production of camu-camu extract powder, contributing to the better use of this Amazonian fruit. In addition, the encapsulation process increased the stability of its bioactive compounds, representing a tool to facilitate their incorporation in several matrices to act as antioxidant and coloring agents, as well as nutraceutical.

For the preparation of nanoemulsions, the correct choice of emulsifiers, together with the emulsification methods, directly influences the final product quality. The present study reports the ultrasound-assisted preparation of oil-in-water nanoemulsions produced with mucilage extracted from leaves of Pereskia aculeata Miller (ora-pro-nobis; OPN). The OPN mucilage (%) and soybean oil (%) concentration range, and the process operating parameters, ultrasonic power amplitude (%) and sonication time (min), were optimized based on the mean droplet diameter ( d 32 ). The effect of the mucilage and oil concentrations was also investigated by the response variables such as polydispersity, density, turbidity, viscosity, zeta-potential, and interfacial tension. The higher OPN mucilage concentrations (%) with lower amounts of soybean oil (%) favored nanoemulsion formations (116 ≤ d 32 ≤ 171 nm) and increased polydispersity, density, and zeta-potential. On increasing OPN mucilage and soybean oil the turbidity of the dispersions increased. All colloidal systems showed Newtonian behavior, and the viscosity in the systems increased due to the greater OPN mucilage concentration in the aqueous phase at a certain oil concentration. In addition, lower values of equilibrium interfacial tension were found with increasing OPN mucilage concentrations. Finally, from the stability test, it can be pointed out that the OPN mucilage concentration should be between 1.0 and 1.5% and the oil concentration should be less than 5%, so that lower d 32 values are maintained over time. Therefore, mucilage extracted from OPN and the ultrasound technique can be used in the preparation of nanoemulsions.