Determination of chocolate melting properties by capacitance based thermal analysis (CTA)

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Dark Chocolate as Age-appropriate Oral Matrix

Swallowing difficulties encountered by geriatric patients who undergo polypharmacy represent a significant challenge that hampers patient compliance and therapeutic management. As an appealing and sensory-pleasing, chocolate-based formulations have emerged as a potential alternative oral dosage form suitable for both the elderly and paediatric populations. However, the extent to which the incorporation of drugs into a chocolate matrix affects their oral availability remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of this investigation was to explore the in vitro and in vivo performance of an ibuprofen-based chocolate dosage form. A matrix based on dark chocolate and the model drug was prepared at two distinct temperatures: 50 and 80 °C. In vitro release studies revealed that ibuprofen formulated through co-melting at 80 °C exhibited a statistically significant slower drug release (p < 0.05) compared to formulations prepared at 50 °C in both FaSSGF (fasted-state simulated gastric fluid) and lipolysis media. The enzymatic degradation of chocolate in the presence of lipase accelerated in vitro ibuprofen release from chocolate matrices. To delve deeper into the bioavailability of ibuprofen within the chocolate formulations, we conducted an in vivo assessment, comparing the pharmacokinetic profiles of ibuprofen in its conventional suspension form with our chocolate-based dosage forms. A notable drop (p < 0.05) in the maximum serum concentration of ibuprofen when incorporated into co-melted or solid-suspension chocolate matrices. However, no significant differences in plasma exposure were observed between the two formulations. These findings shed a light on the potential of chocolate to extend of ibuprofen when integrated into various chocolate matrices, showcasing the potential held by these innovative formulations.

Sizing multimodal suspensions with differential dynamic microscopy

Differential dynamic microscopy (DDM) can be used to extract the mean particle size from videos of suspensions. However, many suspensions have multimodal particle size distributions, for which a single 'mean' is not a sufficient description. After clarifying how different particle sizes contribute to the signal in DDM, we show that standard DDM analysis can extract the mean sizes of two populations in a bimodal suspension given prior knowledge of the sample's bimodality. Further, the use of the CONTIN algorithm obviates the need for such prior knowledge. Finally, we show that by selectively analysing portions of the DDM images, we can size a trimodal suspension where the large particles would otherwise dominate the signal, again without prior knowledge of the trimodality.

Physical characterization of chocolates prepared with various soybean and milk powders physical character soybean milk chocolate

The physical characterization of chocolate products is vital in manufacturing, and the chocolate's processing time and composition directly influence physical properties, such as rheology and melting. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of processing time and the ingredient types on the physical properties of milk chocolates containing soy milk powder and soy protein isolate. Characteristics of skimmed milk chocolate (SMC) and whole milk chocolate (WMC) were compared to soy milk chocolate and soy protein chocolate (SPC). Rheological data of chocolate products were fitted to Casson, Herschel-Bulkley, and Bingham models. The highest viscosity was observed for SPC samples, whereas yield stress was the highest for SMC samples after 2 hr of processing. The increase in milk and soy fats in the formulation softened the texture and decreased the whiteness index significantly (p < .05). PSD results show that SPC had the highest D90 (40.1 μm) and the lowest specific surface area (893 m² /kg) after 6 hr of processing. SPC samples had the narrowest particle size distribution observed by the span values. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that all the samples had the desired Form V, crystal form. The differential scanning calorimetry thermogram was used to determine phase transitions and melting behaviors. At the end of processing, melting enthalpies (ΔH_melt ) were significantly lower (p < .05) in milk chocolates.

Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Acceptability of a Next-Generation Functional Chocolate Added with Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Probiotics

In this study, a milk chocolate formulation was developed to serve as vehicle of Omega-3 (ω3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and probiotics (L. plantarum 299v and L. rhamnosus GG). Fish oil (FO) was incorporated in chocolate as a source of ω3 PUFAs. Probiotics (Prob) and FO were added during tempering, obtaining chocolates with 76.0 ± 5.2 mg (FO1) or 195.8 ± 6.5 mg (FO2) of ω3 PUFAs, and >1 × 10⁶ CFU of Prob per chocolate portion (12 g). The physicochemical properties (rheological analysis, texture, surface instrumental color, aw, and fatty acid profile), and sensory acceptability of the formulations were determined. Prob and FO generated a decrease in L* and white index (WI) values. Except for Prob + FO2, all treatments showed a decrease in aw. Rheological parameters of FO1 and Prob + FO1 presented the most similar behavior as compared with the control. Prob or FO1 addition did not affect the overall consumer’s acceptability of chocolate; and when both nutraceuticals were combined (Prob + FO1) the product showed adequate overall acceptability. FO2 formulations were not considered adequate to maintain physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of chocolate. Results indicated that milk chocolate is a suitable vehicle for delivering ω3 PUFAs and Prob, which are essential to enhance cognitive development in children.

Thermal properties and volatile compounds profile of commercial dark-chocolates from different genotypes of cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.) from Latin America

There is a growing interest in the identification of chemometric markers that allow the distinction and authentication of dark-chocolates according to their cocoa geographical origin and/or genotype. However, samples derived from Latin American cocoa, including specimens from North and South America, have not been studied in this context. An exploration of the melting behavior, fat composition, bioactive content, and volatile profile of commercial darkchocolates was conducted to identify possible patterns related to the genotype and/or origin of cocoa from Latin America. The melting properties were evaluated by DSC and related to fat content and fatty acids profile. Total polyphenol, anthocyanin, methylxanthine, and catechin content were analyzed. Finally, the volatile compounds were extracted and identified by HS-SPME/GC-MS and were analyzed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Hierarchical Cluster Analysis Heatmap (HCA Heatmap). The fatty acids profile showed a relationship with the melting properties of dark chocolate. The samples exhibited two glass-transition temperatures (T_g) at ≈19 °C and ≈25.5 °C, possibly related to traces of unstable polymorphic forms of monounsaturated triacylglycerides. The analysis of bioactive compounds demonstrated great variability among samples independent of the cocoa origin, genotype, and content. The PCA and HCA Heatmaps allowed discriminating against the chocolates in relation to the cocoa origin and genotype. Compounds like tetramethylpyrazine, trimethylpyrazine, benzaldehyde, and furfural could be considered as dark-chocolate aroma markers derived from Latin American cocoas (North American region). The 2-phenylethyl alcohol, 2-methylpropanoic acid, 2,3-butanediol, 2-nonanone, and limonene for derived from South America. And the 2-phenylethyl acetate, 3-methyl-butanal, and cinnamaldehyde could allow to distinguishing between regional genotypes.