In this study, microencapsulated green tea (GT) extracts, as prospective nutraceuticals, were obtained using spray drying with pectin in different pectin-to-extract (P:E) ratios. Pectin was selected as wall material based on its previously reported superiority to encapsulate phenols, low cost/sustainability of production and intrinsic hypoglycemic and antioxidant potential. A significant degradation (13.74 %) of epigallocatechin was observed in powder without pectin, in contrast to pectin-loaded samples, suggesting its role in chemical stability enhancement of stated compound. FTIR and DSC indicated GT extract bioactives to remain stable during drying. Addition of pectin significantly increased encapsulation efficiency (EE) of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (up to 8.94 %), epicatechin-3-gallate (up to 7.68 %) and caffeine (up to 12.39 %) compared to pectin-free sample. Significant EE enhancement for epigallocatechin-3-gallate was observed until the P:E ratio of 1:1 compared to pectin-free sample, while further increase of pectin share did not lead to a comparative increase in EE. Similar trend was observed for powder flowability, probably due to excess of pectin in the highest P:E ratio (2:1), preventing proper droplets formation, which was also confirmed by SEM. Sample with P:E ratio of 1:1 revealed the slowest release of bioactives, which may be important for facilitating potential GT therapeutic usage. Stated microencapsulate further revealed satisfactory antioxidant (IC50 of 23.70 μg/ml vs. 4.45 μg/ml for ascorbic acid) and hypoglycemic activities (IC50 of 39.48 μg/ml vs. 156.64 μg/ml for acarbose). These findings represent the basis for further experiments regarding usage of the developed GT microencapsulate as nutraceutical applicable in diabetes-related impairments.

Carrots are among the most crucial and globally preferred vegetables, widely recognized for their importance as a source of phytonutrients, including phenolic compounds, carotenoids, polyacetylenes, and ascorbic acid. However, its production phase incurs substantial losses, estimated at 30 %; these discarded carrots typically find application in animal feed, composting material or organic waste. Therefore, this study aims to develop a methodological framework focusing on the application of a phytochemical bioprospecting process based on scientific surveillance; using carrot crop by-products as a foundational example. Advanced methodologies, such as bibliometric, scientometric, and patent analyses, supported by technological tools such as VOSviewer and Patent Inspiration, were employed. This involved the creation of scientific landscapes, trend maps and co-occurrence networks, intending to explore the potential of carrot crop by-products, their applicability in generating new knowledge, and their utilization in the industry. This approach facilitated the identification of emerging trends in scientific research, providing a comprehensive view of commercial and industrial areas of interest, with a focus on circular economic principles. Furthermore, the study emphasized the importance of bioprospecting, supported by these methodologies and technological tools, as a key factor in the research process on the potential uses of carrot crop by-products, which could extend to other matrices.

The phenolic compounds (PC) present in the pulp flour of Cantaloupe melon (Cucumis melo L.) were encapsulated in whey protein isolate (EPWI), whey protein concentrate (EPWC), and soy protein isolate (EPSP) by nanoprecipitation to evaluate the effect on the antioxidant potential in vitro. The crude extract was evaluated for the content and profile of PC, presenting 750 ± 60.73 mg EAG/100 g and ten different types with emphasis on procyanidin B1 (213.9 ± 33.23 mg/kg) and fumaric acid (181.6 ± 30.55 mg/kg). The characterization indicated the incorporation efficiency of PC in the range of 74.10 ± 0.28-90.60 ± 6.52 %, formation of spherical particles with smooth surfaces, average diameters between 74.90 ± 10.78-96.57 ± 10.17 nm, amorphous structure, and chemical interactions between the materials, justifying the potentiation of the antioxidant activity of the crude extract by up to six times (p < 0.05). Therefore, nanoencapsulation using protein materials and the nanoprecipitation technique is a promising strategy to promote the encapsulation of PC from Cantaloupe melon.

To develop turmeric extract-loaded chitosan microparticles for treating gastrointestinal disorders.

The microparticles were prepared using a spray-drying process, optimised the characteristics by biomarker loading, and encapsulation efficiency, and assessed for bioactivities related to gastrointestinal diseases.

The optimised microparticles were spherical, with a mean diameter of 2.11 ± 0.34 µm, a SPAN of 4.46 ± 0.68, a zeta potential of +37.6 ± 0.2 mV, loading of 15.7% w/w curcuminoids, 5.4% w/w ar-turmerone, and encapsulation efficiency of 63.26 ± 1.62% w/w curcuminoids and 43.75 ± 1.33% w/w ar-turmerone. Encapsulation of turmeric extract improved release at 6 h by 20 times and mucoadhesion by 3.6 times. The microparticles exhibited high acid-neutralising capacity (1.64 ± 0.34 mEq/g) and inhibited nitric oxide production about twice as effectively as the turmeric extract, while maintaining antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Encapsulation of turmeric extract in chitosan microparticles effectively enhanced therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal disorders.

The European cranberry bush, known for its health benefits, can only be consumed through fermentation. This study aimed to develop a fruit leather made from European cranberry bush using quince seed gel and the foam drying method. For this purpose, quince seed gel was added to European cranberry juice to increase consistency. Then, European cranberry fruit leather was obtained by drying at 70, 80, and 90 °C air temperatures using foam mat drying technology. Spectral reflectance, color, drying kinetics, anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, and total phenolic content, antiradical activity, and macro-micronutrient concentrations of the resulting fruit pulp were investigated. The foam mat drying process at 90 °C had the greatest values of ascorbic acid (0.996 mg g- 1), anthocyanin (275.9 mg kg- 1), DPPH (47.77%), and ABTS.+ (68.76 µg TE g- 1). In addition, the highest value of total phenolic content (37.75 mg g- 1) was obtained in the foam mat drying process at 80 °C. The highest concentration of P, Na, Mg, K, Ca, and Mn in fruit leather was obtained at 70 °C, and the highest concentration of S, Cu, and Zn was obtained at 90 °C. The lowest spectral reflectance values were measured at 90 °C. In conclusion, the present study explored the fact that adding quince seed gel, extremely rich in biochemical content, significantly enhanced the bioactivity properties of European cranberry bush fruit leather.

Hypericum perforatum (HP) contains valuable and beneficial bioactive compounds that have been used to treat or prevent several illnesses. Encapsulation technology offers protection of the active compounds and facilitates to expose of the biologically active compounds in a controlled mechanism. Microcapsulation of the hydroalcoholic gum arabic and maltodextrin have hot been used as wall materials in the encapsulation of HP extract. Therefore, the optimum microencapsulation parameters of Hypericum perforatum (HP) hydroalcoholic extract were determined using response surface methodology (RSM) for the evaluation of HP extract. Three levels of three independent variables were screened using the one-way ANOVA. Five responses were monitored, including total phenolic content (TPC), 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), carr index (CI), hausner ratio (HR), and solubility. Optimum drying conditions for Hypericum perforatum microcapsules (HPMs) were determined: 180 °C for inlet air temperature, 1.04/1 for ratio of maltodextrin to gum arabic (w/w), and 1.98/1 for coating to core material ratio (w/w). TPC, antioxidant activity, CI, HR, and solubility values were specified as 316.531 (mg/g GAE), 81.912%, 6.074, 1.066, and 35.017%, respectively, under the optimized conditions. The major compounds of Hypericum perforatum (hypericin and pseudohypericin) extract were determined as 4.19 μg/g microcapsule and 15.09 μg/g microcapsule, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that the mean particle diameter of the HPMs was 20.36 µm. Based on these results, microencapsulation of HPMs by spray drying is a viable technique which protects the bioactive compounds of HP leaves, facilitating its application in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

Species belonging to the Bauhinia genus, usually known as "pata-de-vaca", are popularly used to treat diabetes. Bauhinia ungulata var. obtusifolia (Ducke) Vaz is among them, of which the leaves are used as a tea for medicinal purposes in the Amazon region. A microencapsulation study of lyophilized aqueous extract from Bauhinia ungulata leaves, which contain phenolic compounds, using five different wall materials (maltodextrin DE 4-7, maltodextrin DE 11-14; β-cyclodextrin; pectin and sodium carboxymethylcellulose) is described in this paper. The microstructure, particle size distribution, thermal behavior, yield, and encapsulation efficiency were investigated and compared using different techniques. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, phenolics, and flavonoids were detected and quantified in the microparticles. The microparticles obtained with a yield and phenolics encapsulation efficiency ranging within 60-83% and 35-57%, respectively, showed a particle size distribution between 1.15 and 5.54 µm, spherical morphology, and a wrinkled surface. Among them, those prepared with sodium carboxymethylcellulose or pectin proved to be the most thermally stable. They had the highest flavonoid content (23.07 and 21.73 mg RUTE/g Extract) and total antioxidant activity by both the DPPH (376.55 and 367.86 µM TEq/g Extract) and ABTS (1085.72 and 1062.32 µM TEq/g Extract) assays. The chromatographic analyses allowed for quantification of the following substances retained by the microparticles, chlorogenic acid (1.74-1.98 mg/g Extract), p-coumaric acid (0.06-0.08 mg/g Extract), rutin (11.2-12.9 mg/g Extract), and isoquercitrin (0.49-0.53 mg/g Extract), compounds which considered to responsible for the antidiabetic property attributed to the species.

Bioactive compounds from medicinal plants have applications in the development of functional foods. However, since they are unstable, encapsulation is used as a conservation alternative. This work aimed to assess the bioactive properties (antioxidant and hypoglycemic) of different extracts, including the infusion, as well as their spray-dried microencapsulates from Tecoma stans leaves. A factorial design was proposed to determine the best extraction conditions, based on ABTS and DPPH inhibition. Maltodextrin (MD), arabic gum (AG), and a 1:1 blend (MD:AG) were used as encapsulating agents. Moreover, characterization through physicochemical properties, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the best two powders based on the bioactive properties were analyzed. The results showed that the combination of stirring, water, and 5 min provided the highest inhibition to ABTS and DPPH (35.64 ± 1.25 mg Trolox/g d.s. and 2.77 ± 0.01 g Trolox/g d.s., respectively). Spray drying decreased the antioxidant activity of the extract while preserving it in the infusion. The encapsulated infusion with MD:AG had the highest hypoglycemic activity as it presented the lowest glycemic index (GI = 47). According to the results, the microencapsulates could potentially be added in foods to enhance nutritional quality and prevent/treat ailments.

This study aimed to produce spray dried acerola juice microparticles with different protein carriers to be incorporated into edible starch films. The microparticles were evaluated for solids recovery, polyphenol retention, solubility, hygroscopicity, particle size distribution, X-ray diffraction, phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activity. Acerola microparticles produced with WPI/hydrolysed collagen carriers (AWC) with higher solids recovery (53.5 ± 0.34% w/w), polyphenol retention (74.4 ± 0.44% w/w), high solubility in water (85.2 ± 0.4% w/w), total polyphenol content (128.45 ± 2.44 mg GAE/g) and good storage stability were selected to produce starch-based films by casting. As a result, cassava films with water vapour permeability of 0.29 ± 0.07 g mm/m2 h KPa, polyphenol content of 10.15 ± 0.22 mg GAE/g film and DPPH radical scavenging activity of 6.57 ± 0.13 μM TE/g film, with greater migration of polyphenol to water (6.30 ± 0.52 mg GAE/g film) were obtained. Our results show that the incorporation of phytochemical-rich fruit microparticles is a promising strategy to create biodegradable edible films.

Sour cherry juice concentrate powder can serve as a modern, easy-to-handle, phenolics-rich merchandise; however, its transformation into powdered form requires the addition of carriers. In line with the latest trends in food technology, this study valorizes the use of dairy by-products (whey protein concentrate, whey, buttermilk, and mixes with maltodextrin) as carriers. A new multiple approach for higher drying yield, phenolics retention (phenolic acids, flavonols and anthocyanins) and antioxidant capacity of powders were tested as an effect of simultaneous decrease of drying temperature due to the drying air dehumidification and lower carrier content.

Dairy-based carriers were effective for spray drying of sour cherry-juice concentrate. The drying yield was increased and retention of phenolics was higher when compared with maltodextrin. The application of dehumidified air, which enabled the drying temperature to be reduced, affected drying yield positively, and also affected particle morphology and retention of phenolics (the phenolic content was approximately 30% higher than with spray drying).

The study proved that it is possible to apply dairy-based by-products to produce sour cherry juice concentrate powders profitably, lowering the spray-drying temperature and changing the carrier content. Dehumidified air spray drying can be recommended for the production of fruit juice concentrate powders with improved physicochemical properties. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

To date majority of bakery products are manufactured using emulsifiers in paste or gel form that restricts and causes many problems of storage, processing, and handling at the commercial level. Therefore, new developments are required to resolve the issues of the bakery industry. This review discusses the importance of α-tending emulsifiers in the bakery industry and the action of the α-form to produce superior quality products. Further, to produce desired results α-form of emulsifiers blend should be stable and functional at different operating and storage conditions. Emulsifiers in gel or paste form do not maintain the active α-gel phase over a longer storage period. Using emulsifiers blend in powder form can be a solution to all the mentioned difficulties. With the development of new technologies like spray drying and encapsulation has opened new doors to utilize emulsifiers blend in powder form. Few manufactures have tapped this opportunity and have developed improver powder that offers superior quality products as well as processing, storage, and handling benefits and is easy to use. Improver powder maintains its active and functional α-form when stored at ambient temperature. This development also increases the scope of dry premixes in the market and consumers can make products of their choice in the kitchen with minimal effort.

Microencapsulation techniques establish a protective barrier around a sensitive compound, reducing vulnerability to external influences and offering controlled release. This work evaluates microencapsulation of Brazilian seed known as pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) extract incorporated with green propolis extract, (main propolis font from the South America native plant Baccharis dracunculifolia DC) to enhancement antioxidant activity through synergic interaction, comparing to the extracts individually. Four treatments were produced using maltodextrin and combined with gum arabic as encapsulating agent, employing two different microencapsulation technique applied (spray drying and freeze drying) to assess their impact on physicochemical properties. The incorporation of gum arabic into matrix yielded higher encapsulation efficiency values, exhibiting significant differences for both encapsulation techniques. Combining the two encapsulation agents afforded greater protection of the bioactive compounds, resulting in an increase of approximately 31 % in the inhibition of the DPPH● radical. In controlled release analysis, maltodextrin exhibits the best protective effect on total phenolic compounds during intestinal release, whereas combining maltodextrin and gum arabic enhanced protection during gastric phase. Microcapsules may contribute to the protection of important bioactive compound, possessing a wide range of applications such as flavors encapsulation in food industry, lipids, antioxidants and pharmaceutical industry for controlled drug release.

Anthocyanins are naturally colored compounds that can be extracted from plants, especially fruits. Their molecules are unstable under normal processing conditions; thus, they must be protected using modern technologies, such as microencapsulation. For this reason, many industries are searching for information from review studies to find the conditions that improve these natural pigments' stability. This systematic review aimed to elucidate different aspects of anthocyanins, such as main extraction and microencapsulation methods, gaps in analytical techniques, and industrial optimization measurements. Initially, 179 scientific articles were retrieved, of which seven clusters were found with 10-36 cross-linked references. Sixteen articles containing 15 different botanical specimens were included in the review, most focusing on the whole fruit, pulp, or subproducts. The extraction and microencapsulation technique resulting in the highest anthocyanin content was sonication with ethanol, temperature below 40 °C, and maximum time of 30 min, followed by microencapsulation by spray drying with maltodextrin or gum Arabic. Color apps and simulation programs may help verify natural dyes' composition, characteristics, and behavior.

Aloe mucilages of Aloe ferox (A. ferox) and Aloe vera (A. vera) were spray-dried (SD) at 150, 160 and 170 °C. Polysaccharide composition, total phenolic compounds (TPC), antioxidant capacity and functional properties (FP) were determined. A. ferox polysaccharides were comprised mainly of mannose, accounting for >70% of SD aloe mucilages; similar results were observed for A. vera. Further, an acetylated mannan with a degree of acetylation >90% was detected in A. ferox by ¹H NMR and FTIR. SD increased the TPC as well as the antioxidant capacity of A. ferox measured by both ABTS and DPPH methods, in particular by ~30%, ~28% and ~35%, respectively, whereas in A. vera, the antioxidant capacity measured by ABTS was reduced (>20%) as a consequence of SD. Further, FP, such as swelling, increased around 25% when A. ferox was spray-dried at 160 °C, while water retention and fat adsorption capacities exhibited lower values when the drying temperature increased. The occurrence of an acetylated mannan with a high degree of acetylation, together with the enhanced antioxidant capacity, suggests that SD A. ferox could be a valuable alternative raw material for the development of new functional food ingredients based on Aloe plants.

Currently, microencapsulation has become a viable method of nutrient delivery for the food industry. This work microencapsulated the bioactive compounds extracted from two neglected species (Balanites aegyptiaca and Ziziphus mauritiana) by freeze-drying. A combination of wall materials (whey protein and pectin; soy protein and maltodextrin) was chosen to prepare the microcapsules. The phytochemical and physicochemical characterization of the microcapsules was then carried out. The encapsulation yield ranged from 82.77% to 96.05% for Balanites and Ziziphus, respectively, whereas the efficiency was 76.18 ± 1.39% and 80.93 ± 1.71%. The stimulated in vitro gastrointestinal test showed that encapsulation increased the bioavailability of the bioactive compounds. The total carotenoids were the most bioavailable compounds with 85.89 ± 0.06% for Ziziphus and 70.46 ± 1.10% for Balanites, followed by total flavonoids for Zizyphus with 63.27 ± 1.56%. Furthermore, regardless of species or wavelengths, the HPLC analysis resulted in the identification of 17 bioactive metabolites. The predominant one was epicatechin, whose level ranged from 231.52 ± 5.06 to 250.99 ± 3.72 mg/100 g DW in Ziziphus and 91.80 ± 3.85 to 116.40 ± 4.09 mg/100 g DW in Balanites. In estimating the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant power, both studied fruits showed antidiabetic, inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. These findings suggest that natural bioactive compounds are abundant in the fruits of Z. mauritiana and B. aegyptiaca and could be a valuable source for the food and pharmaceutical industries.