Microencapsulated betacyanin from colored organic quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): optimization, physicochemical characterization and accelerated storage stability

Developing Core/Shell Capsules Based on Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose and Gelatin through Electrodynamic Atomization for Betalain Encapsulation

Betalains are bioactive compounds with remarkable functional and nutritional activities for health and food preservation and attractiveness. Nevertheless, they are highly sensitive to external factors, such as oxygen presence, light, and high temperatures. Therefore, the search for new structures, polymeric matrices, and efficient methods of encapsulation of these compounds is of great interest to increase their addition to food products. In this work, betalains were extracted from red beetroot. Betacyanin and betaxanthin contents were quantified. Subsequently, these compounds were successfully encapsulated into the core of coaxial electrosprayed capsules composed of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and gelatin (G). The effect of incorporating the carbohydrate and the protein both in the core or shell structures was studied to elucidate the best composition for betalain protection. Morphological, optical, and structural properties were analyzed to understand the effect of the incorporation of the bioactive compounds in the morphology, color, and chemical interactions between components of resulting electrosprayed capsules. The results of the thermogravimetric and encapsulation efficiency analysis coincided that the incorporation of beetroot extract in G in the core and HPMC in the shell resulted in the structure with greater betalain protection. The effectiveness of the core/shell structure was confirmed for future food applications.

Microencapsulation of Purple Mashua Extracts Using Andean Tuber Starches Modified by Octenyl Succinic Anhydride

This work is aimed at optimising the spray drying conditions of the phenolic extracts of purple mashua microencapsulated with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) Andean tuber starches. Purple mashua extracts were obtained and spray dried using native and OSA starches of yellow oca, pink oca, and yellow olluco (140°C, 4% starch). The powders obtained were analysed by encapsulation efficiency of anthocyanin (EE), total phenol content, and antioxidant capacity to select the best starch for optimisation purposes. OSA pink oca starch was selected because the obtained powder presented the highest EE. The spray drying conditions optimised were obtained using a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) and response surface methodology. The encapsulant proportion of OSA pink oca starch (2-12%) and the inlet drying temperature (IDT, 120-160°C) were used as factors of the design. The optimised spray drying condition was 160°C IDT and 2% encapsulant; this condition maximised the EE, total phenol content, antioxidant capacity, and solubility and minimised the water activity and hygroscopicity of the powder. The OSA pink oca starch could be used as an encapsulating agent of phenolic extracts because it can produce powder with high antioxidant capacity and high EE.

Betalain plant sources, biosynthesis, extraction, stability enhancement methods, bioactivity, and applications

Betalains are plant pigments with functional properties used mainly as food dyes. However, they have been shown to be unstable to different environmental factors. This paper provides a review of (1) Betalain plant sources within several plant families such as Amaranthaceae, Basellaceae, Cactaceae, Portulacaceae, and Nyctaginaceae, (2) The biosynthesis pathway of betalains for both betacyanins and betaxanthins, (3) Betalain extraction process, including non-conventional technologies like microwave-assisted, ultrasound-assisted, and pulsed electrical field extraction, (4) Factors affecting their stability, mainly temperature, water activity, light incidence, as well as oxygen concentration, metals, and the presence of antioxidants, as well as activation energy as a mean to assess stability, and novel food-processing technologies able to prevent betalain degradation, (5) Methods to increase shelf life, mainly encapsulation by spray drying, freeze-drying, double emulsions, ionic gelation, nanoliposomes, hydrogels, co-crystallization, and unexplored methods such as complex coacervation and electrospraying, (6) Biological properties of betalains such as their antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antitumoral, and anti-inflammatory activities, among others, and (7) Applications in foods and other products such as cosmetics, textiles and solar cells, among others. Additionally, study perspectives for further research are provided for each section.

Botany, Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Quinoa

Quinoa is a climate-resilient food grain crop that has gained significant importance in the last few years due to its nutritional composition, phytochemical properties and associated health benefits. Quinoa grain is enriched in amino acids, fiber, minerals, phenolics, saponins, phytosterols and vitamins. Quinoa possesses different human-health promoting biological substances and nutraceutical molecules. This review synthesizes and summarizes recent findings regarding the nutrition and phytochemical properties of quinoa grains and discusses the associated biological mechanisms. Quinoa grains and grain-based supplements are useful in treating different biological disorders of the human body. Quinoa is being promoted as an exceptionally healthy food and a gluten-free super grain. Quinoa could be used as a biomedicine due to the presence of functional compounds that may help to prevent various chronic diseases. Future research needs to explore the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical aspects of quinoa that might help to control different chronic diseases and to promote human health.

Microencapsulation of betacyanin from red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peels using pectin by simple coacervation to enhance stability

Betacyanin is a red natural dye pigment widely used in food products. However, the pigment is also unstable and easily degraded by temperature during storage and food processing. This research aims to increase the stability of betacyanin obtained from dragon fruit peels using pectin as a wall medium via the coacervation method. Due to the efficiency and shell integrity, the coacervation method was selected instead of spray drying to enhance betacyanin's stability. Coacervation was conducted in a three-necked round-bottomed flask fitted with a mercury-sealed stirrer and reflux condenser. An accelerated stability test was conducted at 80 °C and 100 °C for 30 min and considered completed after obtaining a stable absorbance. Two full factorials, three-level design, for 80 °C and 100 °C, were analyzed by Response Surface Methodology using Minitab® 19. The core/wall ratio, agitation speed, and pH were the continuous variables, with temperature as the categorical variables. The models were yielded high R-square and low coefficient of variance on the validation process. Simple coacervation is selected because of a superior method such as simplicity, low-cost, high efficiency, and high shell integrity.

Stabilization of betalains by encapsulation-a review

Betalains are pigments that have properties that benefit health, such as antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activity, and they also possess a high ability to provide color. However, these pigments, although used as colorants in certain foods, have not been able to be potentialized to diverse areas such as pharmacology, due to their instability to physicochemical factors such as high temperature, pH changes and high water activity. For this reason, different stabilization methods have been reported. The method that has presented best results for diversifying the use of betalains has been encapsulation. Encapsulation is a method of entrapment where the objective is to protect a compound utilizing more stable matrices from encapsulation technologies. This method has been employed to provide greater stability to betalains, using different matrices and encapsulation technologies. However, a review does not exist, to our knowledge, which analyzes the effect of matrices and encapsulation technologies on betalains stabilization. Therefore, the objective of this review article was to evaluate the different matrices and encapsulation techniques that have been employed to stabilize betalains, in order to arrive at specific conclusions concerning the effect of encapsulation on their stabilization and to propose new techniques and matrices that could promote their stabilization.

Pseudocereal grains: Nutritional value, health benefits and current applications for the development of gluten-free foods

Nowadays, consumers are more conscious of the environmental and nutritional benefits of foods. Pseudocereals grains, edible seeds belonging to dicotyledonous plant species, are becoming a current trend in human diets as gluten-free (GF) grains with excellent nutritional and nutraceutical value. Pseudocereals are a good source of starch, fiber, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals such as saponins, polyphenols, phytosterols, phytosteroids, and betalains with potential health benefits. The present review aims to summarize the nutritional quality and phytochemical profile of the three main pseudocereal grains: quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat. In addition, current evidence about their health benefits in animal models and human studies is also provided in detail. Based on the accumulating research supporting the inclusion of pseudocereals grains in the diet of celiac persons, this review discusses the recent advances in their application for the development of new GF products. Future directions for a wider cultivation and commercial exploitation of these crops are also highlighted.

Microencapsulation of Thymol in Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA): Physical and Antibacterial Properties

Thymol has been shown to be a safe and effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that can be used as a food preservative. However, its volatile characteristics and strong odor limit its use in food products. The microencapsulation of this essential oil in biopolymers could overcome these disadvantages. In this work, thymol-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles were successfully prepared and the optimal encapsulation efficiency was obtained at 20% (w/w) thymol. Microparticles containing thymol presented a spherical shape and smooth surface. Microencapsulation significantly improved the thermal and storage stability of thymol. In vitro release profiles demonstrated an initial fast release followed by a slow and sustained release. Thymol-loaded microparticles had strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and the effectiveness of their antibacterial properties was confirmed in a milk test. Therefore, the thymol-loaded microparticles show great potential for use as an antimicrobial and as preservation additives in food.