Comparison of crystallized coconut sugar produced by traditional method and amorphous coconut sugar formed by two drying methods: vacuum drying and spray drying

Application of segmented analysis via multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares to 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to identify different sugar sources

The different types of sugar employed in the food industry exhibit chemical similarity and are mostly dominated by sucrose. Owing to the sugar origin of and differences in production, the presence of certain minor organic compounds differs. To differentiate between sugars based on their botanical source, geographical origin, or storage conditions, commercial brown sugars and sugar beet extracts were analyzed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy applying a segmented analysis by means of multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). Principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis yielded excellent differentiation between sugars from different sources after the application of this preprocessing strategy; without loss of chemical information and with direct interpretation of the results. By applying a segmented analysis via MCR-ALS to ¹H NMR sugar data, similar spectroscopic profiles could be differentiated. This improved the selectivity of ¹H NMR spectroscopy for sugar source differentiation which can be useful for industrial sugar authentication purposes.

Antioxidant Stability of Moringa Leaves Extract Powders Obtained by Cocrystallization, Vacuum Drying, and Plating

Cocrystallization, vacuum drying, and plating are three potential applications to preserve the antioxidant activity of moringa leaves. Moringa leaves extract was incorporated with sucrose at the same concentration (7 : 100, solid : solid) for all applications and stored for 30 days. This study aims to examine the effects of each application on the antioxidant stability of moringa leaves extract powders. Morphological properties by SEM showed that cocrystallized powders exhibited porous, agglomerated crystals, vacuum dried powders exhibited agglomerated crystals, and plated powders exhibited layered crystals. Based on XRD and hygroscopicity results, cocrystallization produced powders with the highest crystallinity, i.e., 69.11%, and the lowest hygroscopicity, i.e., 0.26 × 10−4 ± 0.02 × 10−4 g H2O/g solid/minute due to the slow water intake of the crystalline structure. Powders with the strongest initial antioxidant activity were obtained from cocrystallization, i.e., 3647.96 ± 20.29 ppm and followed by vacuum drying, i.e., 4378.51 ± 26.29 ppm. The least antioxidant activity was obtained from plating, i.e., 4733.46 ± 31.91 ppm. During 30 days of storage, powders obtained by cocrystallization maintained the most stable antioxidant activity (91.81–91.12%). The results indicated that the high temperature used in the process was likely to impact crystalline structure through the pore formation, which entrapped bioactive compounds and resulted in strong antioxidant activity. While, vacuum drying resulted in powders with a lower but increased antioxidant activity (84.06%–86.43%). In contrast to the other two applications, plating resulted in a decreased antioxidant activity (83.77–82.25%). This study suggests that application of cocrystallization produced moringa leaves extract powders with the strongest and most stable antioxidant activity during storage. Preserving the antioxidant stability of plant extract has been one of the major drives in the development of food encapsulation technology. Cocrystallization and vacuum drying are two relatively novel, less common techniques offering a simpler and more cost-effective method, but their effect on the antioxidant stability of moringa leaves extract has not yet been studied. This study discloses the effects of cocrystallization, vacuum drying, and plating (alternative extract incorporation method) on the antioxidant stability of moringa leaves extract powders. The results indicated that the three methods produced powders with high crystallinity and stable antioxidant stability during storage. Among the three methods, cocrystallization was the method that resulted in powders with the strongest and most stable antioxidant activity.

Natural sweeteners: Sources, extraction and current uses in foods and food industries

Food producers have leaned towards alternative natural and synthetic sweeteners in food formulations to satisfy market demands. Even so, several synthetic sweeteners (e.g., aspartame, saccharin, sucralose) are becoming less popular due to health-related concerns, lower nutritional values, and controversies around their safety. Conversely, natural sweeteners confer favourable customer perceptions due to their association to a healthier lifestyle and higher nutritional values. This article discusses the evidence of natural sweeteners in the available commercial products. A comprehensive review of natural sweeteners is presented, which includes their resources, properties and extraction methods, as well as a discussion on several emerging technologies that offer improvements to the traditional extraction methods. Finally, the progress of natural sweeteners in the food industry is assessed, and the commercial food products containing these natural sweeteners are mentioned.

Effects of variety and maturity stage of coconut on physicochemical and sensory characteristics of powdered coconut drink

Introduction. Coconut water is rich in nutrients and biologically-active compounds. However, it has a short shelf life that can be prolonged by freeze drying. The purpose of this study was to analyze the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of fresh and powdered coconut drinks. Study objects and methods. The experiments included eight samples, namely fresh and powdered coconut drinks obtained from coconuts of different varieties (tall and hybrid) and maturity stages (4 and 6 m.o.). The samples were analyzed for nutrient content (ash, protein, fat, total carbohydrate, and fibre), physicochemical properties (titratable acidity, pH, viscosity, total soluble solids, turbidity, water activity, and browning index), and sensory characteristics (color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptance). Results and discussion. The results obtained showed that there were significant differences among the coconut drinks of different varieties and maturity stages. They differed in nutrient content, pH value, titratable acidity, viscosity, and water activity. Meanwhile, the aroma, taste, and overall acceptance scores of all the samples were not significantly different. The powdered drink from 6 m.o. hybrid coconut was selected as the optimal sample due to its good sensory and physicochemical attributes. These attributes were similar to those of the fresh coconut drink. Conclusion. The powdered drink from 6 m.o. hybrid coconut obtained by freeze drying could be considered as an alternative healthy drink with good quality characteristics.

Physical Characteristics of Amorphous and Crystalline Coconut Sugar Powder with the Addition of Tricalcium Phosphate (TCP) as an Anticaking Agent

The coconut sugar powder produced by vacuum drying and conventional method has high hygroscopicity due to its high sugar content (mostly sucrose). Therefore, it is easier for caking to occur during storage. An anticaking agent such as tricalcium phosphate was therefore added to the powder to maintain its stability. The purpose of this research was to determine the physical characteristics of amorphous and crystalline coconut sugar after the addition of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) in different concentrations. The two types of coconut sugar were prepared by the conventional method, which gave it a predominantly crystalline structure, and the vacuum drying method, which gave it a mainly amorphous structure. The TCP at concentrations 0, 0.5%, and 1% was added to both types of the coconut sugar. The addition of the anticaking agent affected the water sorption of coconut sugar by decreasing the monolayer water content for both types of coconut sugar. TCP seemed to give more significant effect on decreasing the hygroscopicity of crystalline coconut sugar than the amorphous one, while similar trends were obtained in increasing flow ability of both types of coconut sugar. The capacity of TCP to cover the surface of the host coconut powder was proposed as the mechanism of TCP in decreasing hygroscopicity and increasing flow ability of the host powder.