Comparative evaluation of CO2 drying as an alternative drying technique of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) — The effect on bioactive and sensory properties

Supercritical carbon dioxide technology in food processing: Insightful comprehension of the mechanisms of microbial inactivation and impacts on quality and safety aspects

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) has emerged as a nonthermal technology to guarantee food safety. This review addresses the potential of SC-CO2 technology in food preservation, discussing the microbial inactivation mechanisms and the impact on food products' quality parameters and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, the main advantages and gaps are denoted. SC-CO2 technology application causes adequate microbial reductions (>5 log cfu/mL) of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, enzyme inactivation, and improvements in the storage stability in fruit and vegetable products (mainly fruit juices), meat products, and dairy derivatives. SC-CO2-treated products maintain the physicochemical, technological, and sensory properties, bioactive compound concentrations, and biological activity (antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitory activities) similar to the untreated products. The optimization of processing parameters (temperature, pressure, CO2 volume, and processing times) is mandatory for achieving the desired results. Further studies should consider the expansion to different food matrices, shelf-life evaluation, bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds, and in vitro and in vivo studies to prove the benefits of using SC-CO2 technology. Moreover, the impact on sensory characteristics and, mainly, the consumer perception of SC-CO2-treated foods need to be elucidated. We highlight the opportunity for studies in postbiotic production. In conclusion, SC-CO2 technology may be used for microbial inactivation to ensure food safety without losing the quality parameters.

Effect of a novel drying method based on supercritical carbon dioxide on the physicochemical properties of sorghum proteins

The aim of this research was to use supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) drying as a novel approach for generating sorghum protein concentrates/isolates with enhanced functional properties. Sorghum protein extracts were obtained from white whole-grain sorghum flour and were dried by two methods, namely, freeze-drying and SC-CO2 drying. The collected proteins were characterized for their morphology, color, crystallinity, surface hydrophobicity, emulsifying activity index (EAI), creaming index (CI), foaming capacity (FC), foaming stability (FS), protein solubility, chemical interactions, and viscosity. The SC-CO2-dried proteins exhibited higher porosity compared to the freeze-dried ones with smaller particle sizes (∼5.1 vs. 0.4 μm, respectively). The XRD patterns indicated that the SC-CO2-dried proteins had a lower crystallinity than the freeze-dried proteins. However, the surface hydrophobicities of the freeze-dried and SC-CO2-dried proteins were similar. The EAI results showed that the emulsifying activity of freeze-dried protein powder (40.6) was better than that of SC-CO2-dried protein powder (29.8). Nevertheless, the solubility of SC-CO2-dried proteins was higher than that of freeze-dried proteins in most of the pHs investigated. Overall, the proposed SC-CO2 drying method has the potential to generate porous protein powders with improved solubility that can be used in developing functional foods.

A review of drying methods for improving the quality of dried herbs

A large number of herb-drying studies have been conducted in recent decades and several herb-drying techniques have been introduced. However, the quality of commercial dried herbs is still lower than that of fresh herbs. In this paper, studies regarding the effect of drying techniques and pre-drying treatments on the aroma and color of dried herbs are reviewed with the aim of providing an overview of different technological strategies developed for improving the quality of aromatic herbs for their industrial drying.

Effect of Different Drying Techniques on Dehydration Kinetics, Physical Properties, and Chemical Composition of Lemon Thyme

Lemon thyme contains several bioactive health-promoting compounds of high antioxidant capacity—such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and chlorophyll—which may undergo degradation during drying in incorrect processing conditions. This work is aimed at evaluating the impacts of different drying techniques and parameters on the chemical and physical properties of lemon thyme. In the experiment, lemon thyme leaves are dried using two traditional hot-air methods, convective drying (temperature 70°C or 80°C, air velocity 2 m/s), and fluidized bed drying (temperature 70°C or 80°C, air velocity 5–10 m/s); as well as two innovative drying methods, microwave-assisted fluidized bed (MFB) drying (microwaves at a power of 240 or 440 W, air temperature 40°C, air velocity 5–10 m/s) and microwave-vacuum (MV) drying (microwaves at a power of 240 or 440 W, under vacuum at 4–6 kPa). The kinetics of water delivery are described using the Page Model. After drying, the nutritional composition of the material is analyzed: polyphenol (total content and polyphenols profile by ultra-performance liquid chromatography), carotenoid, and chlorophyll total content, as well as antioxidant capacity (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt [ABTS+] and ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]). Color changes ( L*, a*, b*, ΔE) are also analyzed using the visible effects of lemon thyme pigment disintegration. It is found that the MV drying method is the best for lemon thyme preservation, as it has the shortest process time and the highest retention of polyphenols (78.90%-82.14%), chlorophylls (51.54%-52.68%), antioxidant capacity (47.83%-48.63% of ABTS+ and 20.85%-45.45% of FRAP), and presented the least color change ( ΔE = 25.57-28.32). For preserving carotenoids, the most protective method is MFB (retention 68.46%-70.61 %).

Nanostructured raspberry-like gelatin microspheres for local delivery of multiple biomolecules

Multicompartment particles, which are particles composed of smaller building units, have gained considerable interest during the past decade to facilitate simultaneous and differential delivery of several biomolecules in various applications. Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) processing is an industrial technology widely used for large-scale synthesis and processing of materials. However, the application of this technology for production of multicompartment particles from colloidal particles has not yet been explored. Here, we report the formation of raspberry-like gelatin (RLG) microparticles composed of gelatin nanoparticles as colloidal building blocks through supercritical CO₂ processing. We show that these RLG microparticles exhibit a high stability upon dispersion in aqueous media without requiring chemical cross-linking. We further demonstrate that these microparticles are cytocompatible and facilitate differential release of two different model compounds. The strategy presented here can be utilized as a cost-effective route for production of various types of multicompartment particles using colloidal particles with suitable interparticle interactions.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Multicompartment particles have gained considerable interest during the past decade to facilitate simultaneous and differential delivery of multiple biomolecules in various biomedical applications. Nevertheless, common methods employed for the production of such particles are often complex and only offer small-scale production. Here, we report the formation of raspberry-like gelatin (RLG) microparticles composed of gelatin nanoparticles as colloidal building blocks through supercritical CO₂ processing. We show that these microparticles are cytocompatible and facilitate differential release of two model compounds with different molecular sizes, promising successful applications in various biomedical areas. Summarizing, this paper presents a novel strategy that can be utilized as a cost-effective route for production of various types of multicompartment particles using a wide range of colloidal building blocks.

In Situ Raman Analysis of CO₂-Assisted Drying of Fruit-Slices

This work explores the feasibility of applying in situ Raman spectroscopy for the online monitoring of the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) drying of fruits. Specifically, we investigate two types of fruits: mango and persimmon. The drying experiments were carried out inside an optical accessible vessel at 10 MPa and 313 K. The Raman spectra reveal: (i) the reduction of the water from the fruit slice and (ii) the change of the fruit matrix structure during the drying process. Two different Raman excitation wavelengths were compared: 532 nm and 785 nm. With respect to the quality of the obtained spectra, the 532 nm excitation wavelength was superior due to a higher signal-to-noise ratio and due to a resonant excitation scheme of the carotenoid molecules. It was found that the absorption of CO₂ into the fruit matrix enhances the extraction of water, which was expressed by the obtained drying kinetic curve.