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This study aimed to produce soluble potato starch ultrafine fibers for the encapsulation of pinhao coat extract (PCE), evaluating their relative crystallinity (RC), thermal stability, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as in vitro biological digestion. In the simulation of in vitro biological digestion, the phenolic compounds release profile was also evaluated. The ultrafine fibers were produced by electrospinning, based on a polymeric solution composed of soluble potato starch (50% w/v) and formic acid. Then, PCE was incorporated at various concentrations (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, w/w, dry basis). The endothermic event of free PCE was not observed in the ultrafine fibers, which suggests its encapsulation. The RC decreased according to the increase in PCE concentration in the ultrafine fibers. The PCE resisted thermal treatments when encapsulated into the ultrafine fibers (100 and 180°C), and the ultrafine fibers with 1% PCE presented the highest amount of preserved phenolic compounds. Regarding antioxidant activity, the free PCE presented 85% of DPPH inhibition and the ultrafine fibers had 18% inhibition, not differing among the PCE concentrations (p

Among the fruits, the apple stands out among the most used for elaboration of processed foods. However, the importance of prebiotics in apple products has never been widely analyzed. Prebiotic is a food component resistant to gastric acidity, digestion by mammalian enzymes and gastrointestinal absorption. But following fermentation in the colon, prebiotics result in specific changes in the composition and / or metabolism of the gastrointestinal microbiota, conferring benefits to the health of the host. Therefore, fortifying apple-based products with additional prebiotics is an important strategy for improving consumer health benefits. In this review, after compiling and analyzing scientific and technological studies focusing on prebiotics in apple products, the following benefits of these prebiotics became evident: (1) reduction of water loss in the food matrix; (2) preservation of bioactive and volatile compounds; (3) texture improvement (thickening) in the food industry; (4) increased shelf-live and (5) increased survival of probiotic bacteria, promoting positive effects on microbiota. In addition, this review shows the benefits of different prebiotics for stability and sensory acceptance of apple processed foods.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum, L.) essential oil is known for its antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic bacteria. Encapsulation of clove oil was proposed as a mean to disguise its strong odor that limits its uses in food industry. Thus, the aim of this study was extraction, encapsulation and assessment of the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of clove essential oil. The essential oil showed high DPPH scavenging capacity and low hydroxyl radical inhibition. Clove essential oil showed in vitro inhibitory and bactericidal effect against S. aureus, E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium. In addition, in situ antimicrobial activity of clove oil against S. aureus was superior to nitrite. The essential oil particles encapsulated with sodium alginate and emulsifiers, showed high encapsulation efficiency, low antioxidant activity and strong antimicrobial inhibition. Similar bacterial growth was observed in meat-like products after addition of either particles or nitrite.

The need for biodegradable and innovative nanomaterials in the food packaging industry motivates the conduction of studies on the production and characterization of new nanomaterials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the encapsulation efficiency (EE), thermal resistance, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of carvacrol encapsulated in potato starch nanofibers. The nanofibers possessed low EE (26%–33%) and high thermal resistance, showing residual carvacrol quantities after exposure to high temperatures. They also showed reduced but stable inhibition of DPPH oxidation compared with free carvacrol (20%, 33%, and 52% for the nanofibers with 20%, 30%, and 40% carvacrol, respectively) and OH inhibition varying from 4% to 18% for the nanofibers in general. Moderate antimicrobial activity (0.98 mg/ml) was found for all nanofibers throughout minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. Our findings highlight the potential of starch/carvacrol nanofibers for application in the food sector as an antimicrobial and antioxidant agent. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The nanomaterial developed in this study can be applied in the elaboration of active food packages, which can act as antioxidants and/or antimicrobial agents. The end use includes packages that undergo high temperatures in their production. In addition, the packages containing the starch/carvacrol nanofibers can preserve several types of food products.

Considering the low availability of gluten-free products that are offered an affordable price and good sensory characteristics, the main objective of the study was developed a gluten-free muffin based on green banana flour and evaluate their physical–chemical and sensorial aspects. The quality of the muffin was analyzed through such moisture content, ashes, proteins, lipids, fiber, carbohydrates, total caloric content, yield mass, weight loss in the supply, antioxidant activity, protein digestibility, and hedonic scale. The results showed that the gluten-free muffin had a moisture content of 26.7%, ash of 2.39%, lipids of 15.4%, proteins of 10.3%, fibers of 1.2%, carbohydrates of 44.0%, the total caloric value of 261.2 kcal, high protein digestibility and moderate antioxidant activity. The acceptability index was 84.5%. It has been concluded that gluten-free muffin with green banana flour is a viable alternative for the reason that they have higher protein content than other alternative flours.

Compounds present in broccoli are vulnerable to the digestive process, and encapsulation becomes an alternative for their preservation. The encapsulation of broccoli extract, by electrospraying, was performed with the purpose of evaluating the effect of in vitro simulated digestion on individual compounds and antioxidant and antihyperglycemic potentials. Each digestion fraction was evaluated by chromatography, as well as for antioxidant activity and antihyperglycemic potential. The encapsulated extract showed high encapsulation efficiency and spherical morphology. Losses in the levels of phenolic compounds and glucosinolates were found in both extracts, considering the fractions submitted to digestion. The digestion promoted an increase in the inhibition of hydroxyl, nitric oxide and α-amylase, as well as a decrease in the inhibition of α-glucosidase in both extracts, when compared to undigested fractions. Thus, the digestion affects the compounds content in both encapsulated and unencapsulated extracts. However, they still promote the control of oxidative processes and hyperglycemia.

Synthetic preservatives can have harmful effects on the body, so plant essential oils appear to be an attractive natural alternative. However, the use of essential oils is limited due to the low stability and possible negative effects on the sensory properties of food. Oil encapsulation was suggested as a way to overcome these drawbacks. The objective of this study was to encapsulate thyme essential oil and to evaluate its antioxidant and antimicrobial potential in vitro and in situ in of hamburger-like meat products. The casein-maltodextrin capsules produced by spray-drying were assessed for encapsulation efficiency, thermal stability, chemical compounds and morphology. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, hydroxyl and nitric oxide methods, while antimicrobial activity was evaluated in vitro against four bacteria and in situ in hamburger-like products. The capsule showed high encapsulation efficiency and thermal stability, and spherical and irregular morphology. The casein-maltodextrin encapsulated essential oil showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium tested in vitro and against thermotolerants coliforms and Escherichia coli in situ, showing potential for application as a natural preservative in food.

Reactive oxygen species and development of hyperglycemia underlie the most prevalent non-communicable chronic human diseases. Thus, the use of natural products, including essential oils, to control these processes has been the subject of many studies. This study aimed to elucidate the chemical composition of essential oils of clove, thyme, oregano, and sweet orange, characterize their antioxidant activity toward 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, and nitric oxide radicals, and assess their antihyperglycemic potential, inhibiting the digestive enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase in vitro. The major compounds found in clove, thyme, oregano, and sweet orange essential oils were eugenol, thymol, 4-terpineol, and d -limonene, respectively. The clove essential oil shower a higher percentage of inhibition of hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide, while the thyme essential oil displayed greater antioxidant activity toward the radical 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl compared with the other oils assessed in this study. In assays of inhibition of digestive enzymes related to development of hyperglycemia, thyme essential oil showed the greatest capacity to inhibit α-amylase, while sweet orange essential oil displayed the most potent inhibition of α-glucosidase. These results demonstrate the potential for use of these essential oils to prevent and/or treat diseases arising from oxidative stress, such as diabetes mellitus.

Essential oils are compounds derived from the specialized metabolism of plants and have bioactive substances with strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in their composition However these compounds are affected by climate soil methods of oil extraction and environment Due to this encapsulation becomes a viable alternative for the preservation of these compounds