Development and characterization of different black raspberry confection matrices designed for delivery of phytochemicals

Hard Candy Production and Quality Parameters: A review

Hard candies are sugar confections comprising mainly water and sucrose. Corn syrup, colorants and flavors are also usually added to hard candy formulations. The production of hard candy requires heating of the ingredients to very high temperatures to reduce moisture content and subsequent cooling to obtain a solid matrix. Cooling of the mixtures achieves the final, well known glassy state of the products. In this glassy state, the system is kinetically stable and molecular mobility is restricted, providing longer shelf life to hard candies. There are, however, several factors affecting the final quality and consumer acceptance of hard candies. Production methods and parameters, initial formulations as well as storage conditions all play a crucial role in the physicochemical, textural and sensory properties of hard candies. Addition of colorants and flavors also plays a vital role in the final quality. Although hard candy production is a simple process with few production stages, even small changes in the method of production and process parameters may induce substantial changes in the final product characteristics. Additionally, storage conditions such as temperature and humidity can change the product properties leading to graining and stickiness which are the two major problems for hard candies during storage. Both production and storage conditions should therefore be carefully chosen and controlled for desirable hard candy properties. This review addresses the general production methods and considers process parameters and quality parameters of hard candy products. Moreover, a comprehensive review of the related hard candy literature is also presented. The majority of hard candy reviews focus on specific methods and processes, but this review will present a more general frame on the subject.

Effect of Spice Incorporation on Sensory and Physico-chemical Properties of Matcha-Based Hard Candy

The present study was carried out to formulate and determine the sensory, proximate, phytochemical, and antioxidant properties of matcha hard candies incorporated with spices such as ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Cinnamon cassia), and holy basil (tulsi) (Ocimum sanctum L.). Standardized matcha (Camellia sinensis) hard candy was taken as a control, and spices/herbs were incorporated in different concentrations. The best formulation was GC5 (2% ginger powder) for matcha ginger hard candy, CZ10 (0.9% cinnamon powder) for matcha cinnamon hard candy, and TC7 (3% tulsi powder) for matcha tulsi hard candy. These formulations were selected based on the organoleptic evaluation. Furthermore, these selected hard candies were evaluated for the determination of proximate, phytochemical, and antioxidant profiles which exhibited significant results. This study demonstrates the excellent nutritional and phytochemical potential that spiced matcha hard candy has for use as a nutraceutical food product.

Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion of Nutritive Raw Bars: Assessment of Nutrient Bioavailability

Raw bars have become popular among health-conscious consumers due to their nutrient-dense ingredients and lack of additives and preservatives. However, the effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the nutrient content of these bars has yet to be extensively studied. In this study, four different raw bar recipes were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion to evaluate the impact on their nutrient content. The recipes have dates and almond flour as base ingredients and specific ingredients such as Maca root powder, Ginger powder, Aronia powder, Pollen, Propolis extract, Astragalus powder, and Cacao powder. These variations were intended to provide diverse flavors and potential health benefits to cater to different preferences and needs. The in vitro digestion model was designed to mimic the conditions of the human gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, stomach, and small intestine. The results showed that the simulated gastrointestinal digestion significantly impacted the nutrient content of the bars, with varying degrees of nutrient loss observed depending on the recipe. The highest phenolic content and antioxidant activity were observed in the salivary phase for all samples. Vitamin B content generally decreases from the salivary to the intestinal stage. After digestion, the recovery rates of total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and vitamins B1, B3, and B6 varied across the recipes. The recovery rates of vitamins B1, B3, and B6 were generally high across all recipes, indicating their stability and retention during digestion. The findings suggest that simulated GI digestion provides insights into the nutrient bioavailability of raw bars. These results can inform the formulation and optimization of raw bars to enhance nutrient absorption and nutritional value. Further research is warranted to investigate the effects of different processing techniques and ingredient combinations on nutrient bioavailability.

Molecular Dynamics of Jelly Candies by Means of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry

¹H spin-lattice Nuclear Magnetic Resonance relaxation studies have been performed for different kinds of Haribo jelly and Vidal jelly in a very broad frequency range from about 10 kHz to 10 MHz to obtain insight into the dynamic and structural properties of jelly candies on the molecular level. This extensive data set has been thoroughly analyzed revealing three dynamic processes, referred to as slow, intermediate and fast dynamics occurring on the timescale of 10^-6 s, 10^-7 s and 10^-8 s, respectively. The parameters have been compared for different kinds of jelly for the purpose of revealing their characteristic dynamic and structural properties as well as to enquire into how increasing temperature affects these properties. It has been shown that dynamic processes in different kinds of Haribo jelly are similar (this can be treated as a sign of their quality and authenticity) and that the fraction of confined water molecules is reduced with increasing temperature. Two groups of Vidal jelly have been identified. For the first one, the parameters (dipolar relaxation constants and correlation times) match those for Haribo jelly. For the second group including cherry jelly, considerable differences in the parameters characterizing their dynamic properties have been revealed.

Catechin Bioavailability Following Consumption of a Green Tea Extract Confection Is Reduced in Obese Persons without Affecting Gut Microbial-Derived Valerolactones

Obesity-related cardiometabolic disorders are driven by inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut dysbiosis. Green tea catechins protect against cardiometabolic disorders by anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and prebiotic activities. However, whether obesity alters catechin bioavailability remains unknown. We hypothesized that obesity would decrease catechin bioavailability due to altered gut microbiota composition. Obese and healthy persons completed a pharmacokinetics trial in which a confection formulated with green tea extract (GTE; 58% epigallocatechin gallate, 17% epigallocatechin, 8% epicatechin, 6% epicatechin gallate) was ingested before collecting plasma and urine at timed intervals for up to 24 h. Stool samples were collected prior to confection ingestion. Catechins and γ-valerolactones were assessed by LC-MS. Obesity reduced plasma area under the curve (AUC_0-12h) by 24-27% and maximum plasma concentrations by 18-36% for all catechins. Plasma AUC_0-12h for 5'-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone and 5'-(3',4',5'-trihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone, as well as total urinary elimination of all catechins and valerolactones, were unaffected. ⍺-Diversity in obese persons was lower, while Slackia was the only catechin-metabolizing bacteria that was altered by obesity. Ascorbic acid and diversity metrics were correlated with catechin/valerolactone bioavailability. These findings indicate that obesity reduces catechin bioavailability without affecting valerolactone generation, urinary catechin elimination, or substantially altered gut microbiota populations, suggesting a gut-level mechanism that limits catechin absorption.

Water Dynamics in Starch Based Confectionery Products including Different Types of Sugar

Starch-based confectionery products were prepared using different types of sugar. In addition to using different sugar, starch was replaced with soy protein isolate (SPI) in some of the products. ¹H NMR spin-lattice relaxation experiments were performed for the collection of products in a broad frequency range from 4 KHz to 30 MHz to get insight into the influence of different sugar types and SPI on the dynamics of water in composite gel systems. The relaxation data have been decomposed into relaxation contributions associated with two different pools of water molecules characterized by different mobility. The translation dynamics of water molecules has been quantitatively described in terms of a dedicated relaxation model. The influence of the sample composition (the type of sugar and/or the presence of SPI) on the water mobility was thoroughly discussed. The results indicate that the addition of soy protein does not affect water dynamics for samples including sucrose. In addition, as the complementary measurements, physical properties of the products, such as the moisture content, water activity and texture, were investigated in terms of X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis.

Intestinal-level anti-inflammatory bioactivities of catechin-rich green tea: Rationale, design, and methods of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in metabolic syndrome and healthy adults

Metabolic endotoxemia initiates low-grade chronic inflammation in metabolic syndrome (MetS) and provokes the progression towards more advanced cardiometabolic disorders. Our recent works in obese rodent models demonstrate that catechin-rich green tea extract (GTE) improves gut barrier integrity to alleviate the translocation of gut-derived endotoxin and its consequent pro-inflammatory responses mediated through Toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor κB (TLR4/NFκB) signaling. The objective of this clinical trial is to establish the efficacy of GTE to alleviate metabolic endotoxemia-associated inflammation in persons with MetS by improving gut barrier function. We plan a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial in persons with MetS and age- and gender-matched healthy persons (18–65 y; n = 20/group) who will receive a low-energy GTE-rich (1 g/day; 890 mg total catechins) confection snack food while following a low-polyphenol diet for 28 days. Assessments will include measures of circulating endotoxin (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes including biomarkers of endotoxin exposure, region-specific measures of intestinal permeability, gut microbiota composition, diversity, and functions, intestinal and systemic inflammatory responses, and catechins and microbiota-derived catechin metabolites. Study outcomes will provide the first report of the GTE-mediated benefits that alleviate gut barrier dysfunction in relation to endotoxemia-associated inflammation in MetS persons. This is expected to help establish an effective dietary strategy to mitigate the growing burden of MetS that currently affects ~35% of Americans.

Stability of β-carotene in carrot powder and sugar confection as affected by resistant maltodextrin and octenyl succinate anhydride (OSA) starches

Encapsulation has been used to overcome the problem of instability of functional pigments such as carotenoids from natural sources. In this study, β-carotene in carrot juice was spray dried with four different wall materials namely maltodextrin, resistant maltodextrin, octenyl succinate anhydride (OSA) starches Capsul (CAP) and HICAP-100 (HCAP). The objective of this research was to study the effects of various wall materials on physicochemical properties and stability of β-carotene powders along with its stability after incorporation into sugar confection. All four wall materials produced powders of acceptable quality in terms of moisture content, water activity, hygroscopicity, solubility as well as onset glass transition temperature. OSA starches exhibited better pigment retention post spray drying where juices encapsulated with HCAP showed the highest retention (94.34%). This was also represented in more orange Hue values (H°) in powders produced with CAP (53.93) and HCAP (53.33). Powders produced with HCAP also showed the longest half-life after storage at 4 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C, as well as under exposure to light. Similarly, carrot powders produced with OSA starches also exhibited better β-carotene retention after production of hard candy confection. Though candies with HCAP encapsulated juices showed the highest β-carotene retention post candy processing, candies with CAP encapsulated carrot juices exhibited better long term stability after storage at 25 °C and 40 °C as well as under exposure to light.

Black raspberries in cancer clinical trials: Past, present and future

BACKGROUND

Black raspberries (BRB) inhibit a broad range of cancers in preclinical models, including in vivo models of oral, esophageal, colon, breast and skin cancer. Promising preclinical results have led to clinical evaluations in cancer patients or patients at increased risk for cancer development.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize clinical investigations targeting cancer or precancerous lesions with BRB and discuss future directions.

METHODS

A thorough literature search was conducted through December 1, 2015 to identify all published studies evaluating BRB in cancer focused clinical trials.

RESULTS

Research investigating BRB in clinical settings report positive effects on preneoplastic lesions or cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus and colon. BRB treatment resulted in: histologic regression of oral intraepithelial neoplasia associated with improved histologic grade and significantly reduced loss of heterozygosity at tumor suppressor gene loci, modulated genes linked to RNA processing and growth factor recycling; in the colon, BRB inhibited FAP-associated polyp progression, demethylated tumor suppressor genes and improved plasma cytokine profiles; in Barrett's patients, BRB consumption increased tissue levels of GST-pi and decreased 8-isoprostane, a marker of lipid peroxidation/oxidative stress.

CONCLUSIONS

The precise dose, duration and optimum mode of BRB delivery for cancer inhibition remains to be fully elucidated. Common themes across studies support that BRB are anti-proliferative, anti- inflammatory, reduce oxidative stress and restore tumor suppressive activity. Future directions are included in the conclusions section.