Adhesion is the most important factor in product loss in the spray drying of syrups and juices. The main solution to reduce adhesion is using drying aids. The aim of this study was to evaluate effect of maltodextrin (MD) and gum Arabic as drying aids, and pectin and whey protein concentrate (WPC) as complementary drying aid on the powder yield, physical, functional and microstructural properties of spray dried apple juice concentrate. The studied variables and composition of the carriers were used. The inlet air temperature, atomizer rotational speed, feed flow rate, feed temperature and atomizer pressure were kept constant at 160 °C, 18,000 rpm, 15 ml/min, 25 ± 1 °C and 4.2 ± 0.1 bar, respectively. The results of powder production yield indicated that WPC was more effective than pectin as complementary drying aid. The bulk and tapped density of powders significantly decreased with an increase in WPC ratio. Moisture content, solubility, wettability, hygroscopicity and color parameters of the powders were also influenced by the carriers` type and their combinations. The microstructure of spray dried powders showed various particle sizes with spherical and irregular shapes (with shrinkages and dents on the surface). Taking into account all the parameters, 10% WPC in combination with MD was used which showed the best results in the economic production of powder with the highest yield (60.85%) and appropriate physical, flowability and functionality properties.

No abstract

Enzymatic hydrolysis of plant-derived proteins can improve their quality offering opportunities for food applications. In this study, three proteolytic enzymes (pepsin, trypsin, alcalase) were used, alone or combined, to produce faba bean protein hydrolysates (PHs). Their functional, nutritional and antioxidant properties were evaluated, and the peptidomic profile was assessed by LC-ESI-QO-MS/MS. Hydrolysis improved solubility of faba proteins at acidic and neutral pH, as well as their antioxidant properties. Peptidomic analysis identified 2031 peptides in the different PHs. Among them, 9 showed 100% homology with previously known antioxidant peptides and several others include in their sequences antioxidant motifs. Sensory data analysis showed that after addition of PHs to apple juice, no significant differences were perceived between control and some of the PHs. This study demonstrates that enzymatic hydrolysis enhances the functional and antioxidant properties of faba bean proteins. Specifically, hydrolysates can be used as functional food ingredients to produce fortified beverages.

No abstract

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds are considered a nutritional powerhouse, rich in proteins and unsaturated fatty acids. The market for hemp seed food products is growing, due to the loosening of constraints in industrial cultivation. During the food processing chain, the external part of the seed is discarded, although it contains a significant amount of proteins. Converting this material into value-added products with a biorefinery approach could meet the ever-increasing need for sustainable protein sources while reducing food waste. In this study, creating value from hemp byproducts was pursued with three different approaches: (i) chemical extraction followed by enzymatic digestion, (ii) liquid fermentation by strains of Lactobacillus spp., and (iii) solid-state fermentation by Pleurotus ostreatus. The resulting products exhibited a range of in vitro antioxidant and antihypertensive activity, depending on the proteases used for enzymatic digestion, the bacterial strain, and the length of time of the two fermentation processes. These byproducts could be exploited as functional ingredients in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries; the suggested biorefinery processes thus represent potential solutions for the development of other protein-containing byproducts or wastes.

Proteins from hemp bran (HPB), a byproduct of the hemp seed food-processing chain, were chemically extracted, hydrolyzed by Alcalase, and separated by membrane ultrafiltration into four fractions (MW <1, 1–3, 3–5, and >5 kDa). The antioxidant and antihypertensive properties of the initial extract and the fractions were evaluated by in vitro assays for their ability to scavenge radical species, bind with metal ions, reduce ferric ions, and inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. Bioactive peptides were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and sequence comparison with BIOPEP and BioPep DB databases. The hydrolysate was strongly antioxidant and ACE-inhibiting; the most bioactive peptides were further concentrated by ultrafiltration. Of the 239 peptides identified, 47 (12 antioxidant and 35 ACE-inhibitory) exhibited structural features correlated with the specific bioactivity. These results highlight the promise of hydrolysate and size-based HPB fractions as natural functional ingredients for the food or pharmaceutical industry.