Dados do Trabalho

Título

NATURAL BIOCOMPATIBLE SOLVENTS FOR ANTHOCYANIN EXTRACTION: DIRECT APPLICATION AS A FOOD DYE

Introdução

Natural solvents such as aqueous citric acid (AqueousCA) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have recently emerged as promising substitutes for the toxic and pollutant conventional organic solvents (OS) in the extraction of anthocyanins. This study aimed to investigate natural solvents as eco-friendly and biocompatible alternatives for obtaining blueberry pomace extracts (BE) for use as a natural dye in a milk-based ice cream.

Material e Métodos

BE obtained using an AqueousCA solvent (AqueousCA-BE) and a NADES solvent (choline-chloride:glycerol:citric acid at a molar ratio of 0.5:2:0.5) (NADES-BE) were investigated as ready-to-use natural dyes for a milk-based ice cream formulation. These extracts were used at equivalent anthocyanin mass content and compared to a methanol-based organic solvent (OS-BE) that had methanol removed before use as a food dye. Anthocyanins were determined by LC/DAD/UV-vis and LC-ESI-MS/MS. Ice cream formulations (n=3) had the instrumental color (CIELab space) and sensory characteristics assessed (Check-all-that-apply analysis;CATA).

Resultados e Discussão

AqueousCA and NADES showed similar extractive efficacy that was lower than OS (65.2, 65.1, and 150.0 mg of cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/100 mL of extract, respectively). Regarding the natural dye potential, all ice cream formulations containing BE showed a greater tendency towards red (+a*values) and blue (-b*value) due to the presence of anthocyanins, compared to the control formulation that had no dye and a white color (P<0.05). Correspondence analysis of CATA data grouped formulations and attributes into two distinct groups, the NADES-BE ice cream formulation was grouped with non-positive attributes (unpleasant acidic, bitter, and astringent taste), while all other formulations were grouped with positive attributes such as melting sensation, dairy taste and aroma, and texture.

Conclusão

Although the AqueousCA and NADES-BE had lower extractive efficiency for anthocyanins than OS, the anthocyanin profile was similar. Color analysis of ice cream revealed that AqueousCA-BE had a similar color and sensory profile compared to OS-BE. In contrast, NADES-BE ice cream exhibited distinct sensory characteristics, with low acceptance due to its acidic, bitter, and astringent taste perception. This study underscores the viability of sustainable extraction methods, especially AqueousCA, to obtain food grade anthocyanin extracts that can be directly used as a dye in milk-based ice cream.