The Effect of Low-Temperature Spray Drying with Dehumidified Air on Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, and Aroma Compounds of Rapeseed Honey Powders

Influence of Novel Microcapsulates of Bee Products on Gut Microbiota Modulation and Their Prebiotic and Pro-Adhesive Properties

With the aim to obtain controlled-release systems and to preserve the antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and prebiotic activity of the bioactive compounds, microencapsulation of both honeydew honey and royal jelly into biopolymeric microparticles based on rye bran heteropolysaccharides (HPS) was successfully performed. Honeydew honey and royal jelly microcapsules were prepared by spray-drying method and were characterized in terms of morphology and biological properties. Due to the resistance of the obtained encapsulates to the acidic pH in the stomach and digestive enzymes, the microcapsules showed prebiotic properties positively influencing both the growth, retardation of the dying phase, and the pro-adhesive properties of probiotic bacteria, i.e., Bifidobacterium spp. and lactic acid bacteria. Moreover, as a result of fermentation of the microcapsules of bee products in the lumen of the large intestine, an increased synthesis of short-chain fatty acids, i.e., butyric acid, was found on average by 39.2% in relation to the SCFA concentrations obtained as a result of fermentation of native bee products, thus opening new perspectives for the exploitation of honeydew honey and royal jelly loaded microcapsules for nutraceutical applications.

Encapsulation of W/O/W Acerola Emulsion by Spray Drying: Optimization, Release Kinetics, and Storage Stability

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) is a sub-tropical and tropical fruit renowned for its high levels of vitamin C and phenolic compounds, which offer health benefits. This study aimed to optimize the spray drying process by determining the inlet and outlet temperatures using response surface methodology (RSM) with the central composite design. Additionally, it aimed to evaluate the release kinetics in the hydrophilic food simulation environment and the stability of the resulting powder under various storage temperatures. The RSM method determined the optimal inlet and outlet temperatures as 157 °C and 91 °C, respectively. High-accuracy prediction equations (R2 ≥ 0.88) were developed for moisture content (3.02%), process yield (91.15%), and the encapsulation yield of total polyphenol content (61.44%), total flavonoid content (37.42%), and vitamin C (27.19%), with a predicted monolayer moisture content below 4.01%, according to the BET equation. The powder exhibited good dissolution characteristics in the acidic hydrophilic food simulation environment and showed greater stability when stored at 10 °C for 30 days, compared to storage at 35 °C and 45 °C.

Exploring conventional and emerging dehydration technologies for slurry/liquid food matrices and their impact on porosity of powders: A comprehensive review

The contribution of dehydration to the growing market of food powders from slurry/liquid matrices is inevitable. To overcome the challenges posed by conventional drying technologies, several innovative approaches have emerged. However, industrial implementation is limited due to insufficient information on the best-suited drying technologies for targeted products. Therefore, this review aimed to compare various conventional and emerging dehydration technologies (such as active freeze, supercritical, agitated thin-film, and vortex chamber drying) based on their fundamental principles, potential applications, and limitations. Additionally, this article reviewed the effects of drying technologies on porosity, which greatly influence the solubility, rehydration, and stability of powder. The comparison between different drying technologies enables informed decision-making in selecting the appropriate one. It was found that active freeze drying is effective in producing free-flowing powders, unlike conventional freeze drying. Vortex chamber drying could be considered a viable alternative to spray drying, requiring a compact chamber than the large tower needed for spray drying. Freeze-dried, spray freeze-dried, and foam mat-dried powders exhibit higher porosity than spray-dried ones, whereas supercritical drying produces nano-porous interconnected powders. Notably, several factors like glass transition temperature, drying technologies, particle aggregation, agglomeration, and sintering impact powder porosity. However, some binders, such as maltodextrin, sucrose, and lactose, could be applied in controlled agglomeration to enhance powder porosity. Further investigation on the effect of emerging technologies on powder properties and their commercial feasibility is required to discover their potential in liquid drying. Moreover, utilizing clean-label drying ingredients like dietary fibers, derived from agricultural waste, presents promising opportunities.

Value-added product from sugarcane molasses: Conversion of sugarcane molasses to non-caloric sweetener for applications in food and pharmaceutical industries

Molasses is a by-product from sugarcane processing industries that contains some useful natural compounds. This paper proposes a method to produce sucralose, a non-caloric sweetener, from sugarcane molasses. In the first step, sugarcane molasses was converted to dried molasses powder using the low-temperature spray drying process in order to preserve natural compounds. Response surface methodology and artificial neural network were used to determine the experimental condition for maximal bioactive compounds content and antioxidant activity. Dried molasses powder could be produced with maximal values of sucrose yield, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. In the final step, sucralose was derived from dried molasses powder. The yield of molasses-derived sucralose obtained from the proposed method was 0.628±0.01 g/g dried molasses powder with the purity of 99.95±0.02 %. The proposed method paves the way to convert sugarcane molasses to a non-caloric sweetener for applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Carriers based on dairy by-products and dehumidified-air spray drying as a novel multiple approach towards improved retention of phenolics in powders: sour cherry juice concentrate case study

BACKGROUND

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.

RESULTS

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).

CONCLUSIONS

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.

Atomization of Cocoa Honey Using Whey Protein Isolate to Produce a Dry Formulation with Improved Shelf Life for Industrial Application

Cocoa honey, a by-product obtained during the processing of cocoa, is a juice rich in pectin, organic acids, minerals and phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. Fresh cocoa honey is quickly fermented due to its high content of reducing sugars, such as fructose and glucose, which limits its shelf life. Currently, cocoa honey is only commercialized in frozen form, as logistical challenges prevent the wide distribution or export of this by-product for applications in the market of sweets, jellies, beverages, confectionery, and nutraceutical foods among others. Spray-drying technology is a viable prospect for the large-scale stabilization of products such as cocoa honey, with less heat exposure compared to other conventional drying methods. This work aimed to evaluate the efficacy of drying adjuvants for a rapid removal of the water present in cocoa honey via atomization, since this process minimizes the effects of glass transition temperature (Tg) related to materials with high sugar contents. Physical parameters such as the moisture content, hygroscopicity, particle size, and yield of the products obtained were determined. Cocoa honey presented 85.3 ± 0.20 g/100 g of moisture. The formulations successfully decreased moisture content, which was lower than 11.72 ± 0.08 g/100 g in the formulations. Water activity ranged between 0.1464 ± 0.0043 and 0.1562 ± 0.029, with no significant difference between the formulations. The hygroscopicity of cocoa honey powders ranged from 29.29 to 29.87 g of water/100 g of cocoa honey. The combination of 20% maltodextrin and 1% whey protein isolate (WPI) led to the best yield, resulting in a free-flowing powder as the final product. On the other hand, the formulation composed of maltodextrin and whey protein isolate in the ratio of 29:1, respectively, led to the most stable product, with less loss of phenolic compounds during the drying process (6.04%). Regarding particle diameter, 90% of the accumulated distribution did not exceed 57 μm. The greatest dispersion of particles occurs in the Ma20W10 formulation with a span of 2.72, inferring greater variation in size between small (7.01 ± 0.06 μm), medium (18.25 ± 0.37 μm), and large (56.65 ± 1.17 μm) particles. The use of whey protein isolate as an adjuvant proved to be an efficient drying process in the production of cocoa honey powder, and was also advantageous for enriching the nutritional content of the final product due to its protein origin. Furthermore, the combination of spray-drying technology and the use of whey protein isolate as adjuvant led to a free-flowing cocoa honey powder with an adequate particle size and benefits in terms of shelf-life extension, providing new opportunities for the commercialization of cocoa honey as an ingredient for the food industry, with benefits for the circular economy.

Membrane-processed honey samples for pollen characterization with health benefits

Better processing techniques must be utilized widely due to the rising demand for honey. The most common honey processing techniques are applied to melissopalynomorphs to check the quality and quantity of valuable honey using microporous ultrafiltration membranes. It is essential to have the ability to selectively filter out sugars from honey using ultrafiltration. This study authenticated 24 honey samples using membrane reactors ultrafiltration protocol to describe the pollen spectrum of dominant vegetation. The purpose of this study was also to explore nutritional benefits as well as the active phytochemical constituents of honey samples. Honey samples were collected and labeled Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Ziziphus species based on plant resources provided by local beekeepers. A variety of honeybee flora was collected around the apiaries between 2020 and 2021. Honey analysis revealed that the pollen extraction of 24 bee foraging species belonging to 14 families. The honey membrane technology verified the identities of honey and nectar sources. Also, pollen identified using honey ultrafiltration membranes revealed dominant resources: Acacia spp. (69%), Eucalyptus spp. (52%) and Ziziphus spp. Honey filtration using a membrane technology classified 14 samples as unifloral, represented by six dominant pollen types. The absolute pollen count in the honey sample revealed that 58.33% (n = 14) belong to Maurizio's class I. Scanning ultrasculpturing showed diverse exine patterns: reticulate, psilate, scabrate-verrucate, scabrate-gemmate, granulate, perforate, microechinate, microreticulate, and regulate to fossulate for correct identification of honey pollen types. Honey ultrafiltration should be utilized to validate the botanical sources of honey and trace their biogeographic authenticity. Thus, it is imperative to look at the alternative useful method to identify the botanical origin of filtered honey. It is critical to separate honey from adulteration by a standardized protocol. Membrane technology has yielded significant outcomes in the purification of honey.

Antiviral and Antibacterial Effect of Honey Enriched with Rubus spp. as a Functional Food with Enhanced Antioxidant Properties

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blackberry and raspberry fruits (1 and 4%) and leaves (0.5 and 1%) on the biological activities of rape honey. Honey and plant material extracts were analyzed regarding total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents, HPTLC and HPLC polyphenol profiles, as well as antioxidant activity. The antiviral potential was analyzed against bacteriophage phi 6-a coronavirus surrogate-whereas antimicrobial was tested against S. aureus and E. coli. Blackberry extracts were more abundant in antioxidants than raspberry extracts, with better properties found for leaves than fruits and for cultivated rather than commercial plants. The addition of both Rubus plant additives significantly increased the antioxidant potential of honey by four-fold (for 4% fruits additive) to five-fold (for 1% of leaves). Honey with the addition of fruits possessed higher antiviral potential compared with raw rape honey (the highest for 4% of raspberry fruit and 1% of blackberry leaf additive). Honey enriched with Rubus materials showed higher antibacterial potential against S. aureus than rape honey and effectively inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation. To summarize, honey enriched with Rubus fruit or leaves are characterized by increased pro-health value and can be recommended as a novel functional food.

Arabinoxylan-Based Microcapsules Being Loaded with Bee Products as Bioactive Food Components Are Able to Modulate the Cell Migration and Inflammatory Response-In Vitro Study

The aim of the research was to use bioactive heteropolysaccharides isolated from rye bran to obtain innovative systems for the controlled release of bioactive compounds. The core of the obtained encapsulates was honey and royal jelly. It was shown for the first time that preparations effectively ameliorated inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages, decreasing the secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and nitric oxide (NO). The in vitro digestion process revealed that bee products’ encapsulates were stronger oxidative stress reducers and had sustained ability to reduction in inflammation state mediators. The lack of inhibitory effect on migration rate of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) endothelial cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (NIH-3T3), both cell models involved in wound healing process, additionally identified these preparations as agents potentially used in the management of inflammatory response. In the process of a simulated digestion in vitro, the innovative microcapsules showed 85% higher biostability and two to ten times better bioavailability, compared to natural bee products.

Plasticizing effect of Apis mellifera honey on whey protein isolate films

The aims of this study were to analyze the plasticizing effect of Apis mellifera honey on the mechanical, physicochemical and optical properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) films and to compare the results collected with the plasticizing effect of glycerol on WPI-films. Response surface was applied to optimize the amounts of WPI and glycerol in order to obtain films with higher tensile strength (TS), moderate elongation, and lower water vapor permeability so that they could be used as reference films. Honey was added at different concentrations (60%, 80%, and 100%) of g honey/100 g WPI, as a plasticizer to the WPI-films. In comparison to glycerol-plasticized films, an increase in the percentage of honey produced a reduction of 20 ± 10 to 48 ± 0.5% of TS, a 66 ± 0.5% lower in Young's modulus (WPI-films with 100% honey), and an increase of 186 ± 11% in elongation at break in the WPI-films with 100% honey. Honey-plasticized WPI-films were from 29 ± 11 to 43 ± 3% less permeable to water vapor than glycerol-plasticized WPI films. The mechanical characteristics of the 80% honey formulation did not differ significantly from those of the reference film (p > 0.05). Findings from this study indicate that honey has great potential as a plasticizer in WPI-films.

Stabilization and Dispersion of OSA Starch-Coated Titania Nanoparticles in Kappa-Carrageenan-Based Solution

Titania is a white pigment used widely in papermaking, paints and cosmetic industries. Dispersion and stabilization of high concentration titania in water-based system remains a great bottleneck in industry nowadays, because aggregation of titania nanoparticles results in severe adverse effects to gloss, opacity, tint strength, color distribution and storage stability of end products. Because kappa-carrageenan (κ-CG) has excellent rheological properties such as emulsification, gelation, stability and so on, it has the ability to form gel and increase the viscosity of aqueous solution. In this work, Octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) starch was utilized as wall material to encapsulate titania pigments using electrostatic spray drying processing. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that titania pigments were coated by OSA starch, with a final form of nanoparticle. Accelerating stability test found that around 60% OSA starch–titania particles were stably dispersed in κ-CG-based solution. All materials used in this work were natural ingredient, which would be preferred by cosmetic industry and consumers. The technique used in the present study could potentially be extended to other pigments for similar purpose.

Investigating the effects of supercritical antisolvent process and food models on antioxidant capacity, bioaccessibility and transepithelial transport of quercetin and rutin

In the present study, the effects of the Supercritical Anti-Solvent (SAS) process and food models on the antioxidant capacity, bioaccessibility and transport dynamics of flavonol-loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) based microparticles were investigated using a combined in vitro gastrointestinal digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model. SAS-processed and unprocessed flavonols were supplied in two different food models: 10% ethanol for an aqueous hydrophilic food simulant and 3% acetic acid for an acidic food simulant. The SAS processing of quercetin and rutin resulted in a much higher recovery of these bioactives as well as greater retention of antioxidant capacity after gastrointestinal digestion in both hydrophilic and acidic food models. The present study also demonstrates that SAS coprecipitation has a positive effect on the stability and transport of bioactives across the epithelial cell layer. It can be deduced from the results that the SAS process can be a useful method in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications with high stability, bioaccessibility, bioavailability and thus enhanced nutritional value.

Polysaccharides as wall materials in spray-dried microencapsulation of bioactive compounds: Physicochemical properties and characterization

Natural bioactive compounds (BCs) are types of chemicals found in plants and certain foods that promote good health, however they are sensitive to processing and environmental conditions. Microencapsulation by spray drying is a widely used and cost-effective approach to create a coating layer to surround and protect BCs and control their release, enabling the production of high functional products/ingredients with extended shelf life. In this process, wall materials determine protection efficiency, and physical properties, bioavailability, and storage stability of microencapsulated products. Therefore, an understanding of physicochemical properties of wall materials is essential for the successful and effective spray-dried microencapsulation process. Typically, polysaccharide-based wall materials are generated from more sustainable sources and have a wider range of physicochemical properties and applications compared to their protein-based counterparts. In this review, we highlight the essential physicochemical properties of polysaccharide-based wall materials for spray-dried microencapsulation of BCs including solubility, thermal stability, and emulsifying properties, rheological and film forming properties. We provide further insight into possibilities for the chemical structure modification of native wall materials and their controlled release behaviors. Finally, we summarize the most recent studies involving polysaccharide biopolymers as wall materials and/or emulsifiers in spray-dried microencapsulation of BCs.

Deep and Machine Learning Using SEM, FTIR, and Texture Analysis to Detect Polysaccharide in Raspberry Powders

In the paper, an attempt was made to use methods of artificial neural networks (ANN) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify raspberry powders that are different from each other in terms of the amount and the type of polysaccharide. Spectra in the absorbance function (FTIR) were prepared as well as training sets, taking into account the structure of microparticles acquired from microscopic images with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In addition to the above, Multi-Layer Perceptron Networks (MLPNs) with a set of texture descriptors (machine learning) and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) with bitmap (deep learning) were devised, which is an innovative attitude to solving this issue. The aim of the paper was to create MLPN and CNN neural models, which are characterized by a high efficiency of classification. It translates into recognizing microparticles (obtaining their homogeneity) of raspberry powders on the basis of the texture of the image pixel.

Dehumidified-Air-Assisted Spray Drying of Buckwheat Honey with Maltodextrin and Skim Milk Powder as Carriers

Buckwheat honey is proven to demonstrate health beneficial properties; however, its application in the industry is limited due to its high viscosity and syrupy-like consistency. The paper aimed to investigate process performance and physiochemical properties of carrier-reduced buckwheat honey. Honey was spray dried conventionally (inlet/outlet drying temperature: 180 °C/80 °C) and at low drying temperature with dehumidified air application (inlet/outlet drying temperature: 80 °C/45 °C) with maltodextrin as traditional carrier and alternatively with skim milk powder. The results of this study indicate that lowering the humidity of drying air enabled a decrease in carrier content of up to 25% (w/w solids), following powder recovery over 87%, which has not been recorded before for buckwheat honey powders. The results for the physicochemical properties proved that the application of the dehumidified air and skim milk powder as a carrier ameliorated their physiochemical properties and the antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the energy consumption of dehumidified-air-assisted spray drying was investigated as a basis for potential industrial application of this innovative method, which has not been studied in the literature before. The industrial application of this method must be carefully analyzed with regard to its advantages, as the energy consumption is significantly higher than in conventional spray drying.

The influence of nanodelivery systems on the antioxidant activity of natural bioactive compounds

Bioactive compounds may lose their antioxidant activity (e.g., phenolic compounds) at elevated temperatures, enhanced oxidative conditions and severe light exposures so they should be protected by various strategies such as nano/microencapsulation methods. Encapsulation technology has been employed as a proper method for using antioxidant ingredients and to provide easy dispersibility of antioxidants in all matrices including food and pharmaceutical products. It can improve the food fortification processes, release of antioxidant ingredients, and extending the shelf-life and bioavailability of them when ingested in the intestine. In this study, our main goal is to have an overview of the influence of nanoencapsulation on the bioactivity and bioavailability, and cellular activities of antioxidant ingredients in different delivery systems. Also, the effect of encapsulation process conditions, storage conditions, carrier wall materials, and release profile on the antioxidant activity of different natural bioactives are explained. Finally, analytical techniques for measuring antioxidant activity of nanoencapsulated ingredients will be covered.

Quality Assessment of Honey Powders Obtained by High- and Low-Temperature Spray Drying

The paper aimed to compare the quality of rapeseed and honeydew honey powders, obtained by two methods of spray drying—traditional at a high temperature (inlet air 180 °C) and innovative low-temperature spray drying with the use of dehumidified air as a drying medium (inlet air 75 °C). Total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and the content and types of aromatic compounds were determined. In addition, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) coupled with chemometrics analyses was done. Powders obtained by the low-temperature spray drying method (with dehumidified air) were characterized by a higher content of polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and aromatic compounds, compared to powders obtained by the traditional method. Honeydew honey compared to rapeseed honey was characterized by a higher content of polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and composition of aromatic compounds. The results proved that the production method had a higher impact on the final properties of powders than the type of honey.

Identification of sugars and phenolic compounds in honey powders with the use of GC-MS, FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction

This work aimed at the chemical and structural characterization of powders obtained from chestnut flower honey (HFCh) and honey with Inca berry (HBlu). Honey powders were obtained by spray drying technique at low temperature (80/50 °C) with dehumidified air. Maltodextrin (DE 15) was used as a covering agent. The isolation and evaluation of phenolic compounds and sugars were done by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were performed to determine the morphology of the studied honey powders. The obtained results showed that the content of simple sugars amounted to 72.4 and 90.2 g × 100 g^-1 in HFCh and HBlu, respectively. Glucose was found to be the dominant sugar with a concentration of 41.3 and 51.6 g × 100 g^-1 in HFCh and HBlu, respectively. 3-Phenyllactic acid and ferulic acid were most frequently found in HFCh powder, whereas m-coumaric acid, benzoic acid, and cinnamic acid were the most common in HBlu powder. The largest changes in the FTIR spectra occurred in the following range of wavenumbers: 3335, 1640, and below 930 cm^-1. The X-ray diffraction profiles revealed wide peaks, suggesting that both honey powders are amorphous and are characterized by a short-range order only.

Comparison of the Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Mature and Immature Honey: An HPLC/QTOF/MS-Based Metabolomic Approach

Harvesting uncapped immature honey (IMH) followed by dehydration is a typical counterfeit honey production process, but the differences between IMH and capped mature honey (MH) have not been well described previously. In this study, MH and IMH from Apis mellifera colonies during the same rapeseed flower season were compared. MH was found to have lower water content, lower acidity, and higher fructose content. High-performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomic analysis indicated that MH had a distinct metabolite composition to IMH. Targeted metabolomic analysis on 20 major polyphenolic constituents showed higher accumulation in MH. MH had greater bacteriostatic effect and stronger free radical scavenging effect. While both the honeys mitigated cell damage caused by H₂O₂, the effective dosage of IMH was higher and its inducing effect on the antioxidant gene expression was weaker. Overall, MH was shown to be of better quality than IMH not only because of its richer polyphenolic composition but also because of its stronger biological activity.