Mechanistic modeling to address process analysis: Kibbles of carob (Ceratonia siliqua, L.) pod extraction

Carob Pulp: A Nutritional and Functional By-Product Worldwide Spread in the Formulation of Different Food Products and Beverages. A Review

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) pod is a characteristic fruit from the Mediterranean regions. It is composed by seeds, the valuable part due to the extraction of locust bean gum, and the pulp, considered a by-product of the fruit processing industry. Carob pulp is a mixture of macro- and micronutrients, such as carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and secondary metabolites with functional properties. In the last few years, numerous studies on the chemical and biological characteristics of the pulp have been performed to encourage its commercial use. Its potential applications as a nutraceutical ingredient in many recipes for food and beverage elaborations have been extensively evaluated. Another aspect highlighted in this work is the use of alternative processes or conditions to mitigate furanic production, recognized for its toxicity. Furthermore, carob pulp’s similar sensorial, chemical and biological properties to cocoa, the absence of the stimulating alkaloids theobromine and caffeine, as well as its low-fat content, make it a healthier potential substitute for cocoa. This paper reviews the nutritional and functional values of carob pulp-based products in order to provide information on the proclaimed health-promoting properties of this interesting by-product.

Optimization of the antioxidant capacity of mangosteen peels (Garcinia mangostana L.) extracts: Management of the drying extraction processes

Mangosteen peel is a source of natural phenolic antioxidants. During processing, the quality and quantity of these compounds in the final product are altered. Sometimes, the important causal relationships are not easy to establish and thus process management is difficult. This is especially true when biochemical changes can occur as in the case of the drying and extraction process of bioactive materials. The aim of this work was to formulate and solve an optimization problem in order to obtain the appropriate values of the operating conditions that maximize the antioxidant capacity of the dried mangosteen peel extracts. The drying process was analyzed under different drying air temperatures (T) (50℃, 60℃, 70℃ and 80℃) at air velocity of 1 ms^-1. The extraction process was done under conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction at 400 W. Antioxidant capacity was measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. To solve the optimization problem formulated, an artificial neural network was developed. The resolution of the optimization problem allowed the establishment of the optimal operating conditions of the process, maximizing the antioxidant capacity values depending on the characteristics of the process. Results showed that the best operating conditions to maximize the antioxidant capacity of mangosteen peels were a drying temperature of 70℃ and using high-power ultrasound as extraction method.