Lactobionic acid (LBA) is a bionic acid naturally found in the “Caspian Sea yogurt” and chemically constituted of a gluconic acid bonded to a galactose. The compound is known for its numerous proven attributes as an antioxidant, chelator, and moisturizer agent. There is a growing interest of the academic community and industry research sectors in the application of LBA as a food ingredient. Thus, this review describes the current methods of LBA production, patents related, general applications and regulations, research statistics, future prospects, and an overview of the challenges faced by the food industry to incorporate the acid in their products. Studies associated to food application and human intake are scarce in the literature. To date, they account for only a small amount of all available research papers and patents on the subject, which is due to LBA prohibitions despite the approval of its salt (calcium lactobionate) and the lack of regulation in most countries. Further studies on the safety of consumption should be carried out in coming years in order to elucidate its toxicological aspects and to extend the technological possibilities of the food processing industry.
The objective of this work was to develop dehydrated soup formulations using flour from peach palm by-product (PPB), Spirulina platensis or spinach, as well as to evaluate their composition by physical, chemical, instrumental, and sensory methods. Four formulations were developed: standard, PPB flour, PPB flour and S. platensis, and PPB flour and spinach. The samples were analyzed for proximate composition, chlorophyll content, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, color, viscosity, water absorption, and microbiological parameters. The sensory characterization was performed by the check-all-that-apply method. The soups containing spinach or S. platensis presented the highest protein contents of 3.3 and 4.6 g 100 g-1, respectively. The soups formulated with the microalgae S. platensis showed higher contents of fibers, lipids, and antioxidants. Changes were observed in the color and viscosity of the soups. The standard dehydrated soup was characterized as shiny, creamy, with seasoning flavor and fragments, and a pale-yellow color; the formulation with spinach, as grainy, with an herb odor and flavor, seasoning fragments, and a dark-green color; and with S. platensis, with herb flavor, seasoning fragments, and a dark-green color. The developed formulations are within the microbiological standards for food established by the Brazilian legislation. The sensory analysis revealed a new market niche, and the soups containing PPB and S. platensis showed good acceptability. Peach palm flour, Spirulina platensis, and spinach are alternatives for the nutritional enrichment of dehydrated soups with high protein, ash, fiber, and antioxidant contents.
The chemical configuration of the lactobionic acid (LBA) evidences its potential properties, among which the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and chelating activities stand out in the literature. However, few studies aim at testing and confirming them. The purpose of this study was to determine some selected LBA properties, whose characteristics are of interest for its use as an ingredient in foodstuffs. The discussion followed the results of Fourier‐Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical, thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetry (TGA/DTG), minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the diffusion disk test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and iron/calcium chelating methodologies. The XRD analysis revealed the presence of an amorphous halo and the absence of defined peaks, a fact possibly related to its high hygroscopicity. The FTIR showed characteristic bands of the LBA structure. Results from TGA/DG verified the LBA thermal degradation, which evidenced that LBA could participate in most food industry unit processes within the first mass loss event. Antioxidant capacity reached a maximum inhibition of 56% for LBA and the chelating capacity of the iron ion achieved 54% of chelated ions, while the calcium ions reached 15%. The results revealed high potential of LBA application for microbial inhibition, moisture retention, and texture maintenance throughout storage of food products. Practical Applications Despite the potential of application of the LBA, few quantitative results demonstrate its ability of action in food. Even without permission in most countries around the world, more research with LBA will encourage the investigation of its toxicology, expanding the areas of application. Its thermal degradation profile and elevated solubility demonstrated the potential of LBA as food ingredient, performing moreover as antioxidant, chelating agent, antimicrobial, and texturizer. The results open the possibilities for many applications in the field of food chemistry and food industry.
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