Spray dried acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) juice particles to produce phytochemical-rich starch-based edible films

Abstract

This study aimed to produce spray dried acerola juice microparticles with different protein carriers to be incorporated into edible starch films. The microparticles were evaluated for solids recovery, polyphenol retention, solubility, hygroscopicity, particle size distribution, X-ray diffraction, phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activity. Acerola microparticles produced with WPI/hydrolysed collagen carriers (AWC) with higher solids recovery (53.5 ± 0.34% w/w), polyphenol retention (74.4 ± 0.44% w/w), high solubility in water (85.2 ± 0.4% w/w), total polyphenol content (128.45 ± 2.44 mg GAE/g) and good storage stability were selected to produce starch-based films by casting. As a result, cassava films with water vapour permeability of 0.29 ± 0.07 g mm/m² h KPa, polyphenol content of 10.15 ± 0.22 mg GAE/g film and DPPH radical scavenging activity of 6.57 ± 0.13 μM TE/g film, with greater migration of polyphenol to water (6.30 ± 0.52 mg GAE/g film) were obtained. Our results show that the incorporation of phytochemical-rich fruit microparticles is a promising strategy to create biodegradable edible films.

Highlights

• Whey/collagen protein blend AWC was the best wall material for acerola encapsulation.

• Spray dried protein-acerola particles were used to formulate edible films.

• Water soluble phenolic-rich AWC films with antioxidant properties were produced.

• Acerola phenolics from starch films migrated more to water than to acid media.

Keywords:

• Microencapsulation
• tropical fruits
• coating
• food preservation
• repurposing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

DNR was supported by Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), grant number 88882.375712/2019–01.