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This work investigated the influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) and high-power ultrasound (HPU) combined with hurdle technology to preserve the bioactive compounds (BACs) content and antioxidant activity in stored strawberry juices. PEF was performed at 30 kV cm−1, 100 Hz during 1.5, 3, and 4.5 min, while HPU was performed at 25% amplitude and 50% pulse during 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 min. Total phenols and hydroxycinnamic acids were the most stable BACs during the hurdle treatment without influence of the duration of both treatments, while flavonols and condensed tannins showed a significant stability dependence with respect to the duration of both treatments. Total phenols were also stable during storage, in contrast to the individual groups of BACs studied. A chemometric approach was used to optimize the parameters of the hurdle treatments with respect to the highest level of BACs and the antioxidant activity of the treated juices. In general, shorter treatment times in the hurdle approach resulted in better stability of BACs and antioxidant activity. The hurdle technology investigated in this study has the strong potential to be an excellent concept for optimizing the operating parameters of PEF and HPU technologies in the preservation of functional foods.

The use of alginate microcapsules has often been mentioned as one of the ways to remove dyes from waste solvents, water and materials from the food industry. In addition, alginate can be used as a wall material for the microencapsulation of food dyes and their further application in the food industry. The aims of this study were to: (i) determine the effect of the alginate concentration (1, 2, 3 and 4%) on the ability of the adsorption and desorption of natural beetroot red dye and (ii) evaluate the kinetic parameters of the adsorption and desorption process, as well as the factors affecting and limiting those processes. According to the obtained results, the viscosity of alginate solutions increased with an increase in the alginate concentration. Based on k2 values (the pseudo-second order kinetic rate constant), when a more concentrated solution of alginate was used in the adsorption process, the beads adsorbed a smaller amount of dye. Furthermore, based on the values for n derived from the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, the dye release rates (k) were higher for beads made with lower alginate concentrations, and this release was governed by a pseudo-Fickian diffusion mechanism (n values ranged from 0.2709 to 0.3053).