Dados do Trabalho

Título

Potential use of Amazonian butters in the encapsulation of anthocyanin extract by spray chilling

Introdução

The spray chilling technology holds considerable promise for industrial applications within the food sector, enabling the creation of novel lipid-based ingredients that offer enhanced handling convenience and cost-effectiveness through the production of stable lipid powder products. Nevertheless, a notable limitation of this technology lies in the scarcity of lipid materials possessing the requisite characteristics for the development of new ingredients, with vegetable fats and stearic acid constituting the primary options utilized thus far. The Amazon rainforest boasts a rich diversity of natural vegetable fats endowed with physicochemical and nutritional properties of significant interest for food applications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of Amazonian butters, such as Murumuru, Tucumã, and Cupuaçu, in the production of natural dye via spray chilling utilizing hibiscus extract.

Material e Métodos

Three emulsions were formulated, incorporating Amazonian butters and fully hydrogenated palm fat in a 60:40 ratio, along with the emulsifier polyglycerol polyricinoleate and hibiscus extract. Following lipid melting, the emulsifier and extract were added, and the mixture was stirred for 4 minutes until homogenization. Subsequently, the emulsions were atomized in a spray chiller to produce microparticles, which were subjected to analysis for various properties including melting point, density, flowability, cohesion, polymorphism, and anthocyanin retention efficiency.

Resultados e Discussão

The results indicated the suitability of Amazonian butters for the production of hibiscus dyes via spray chilling, with particle melting points averaging 55, 54, and 51°C for murumuru, tucumã, and cupuaçu butter particles, respectively. Consequently, density and flow properties were influenced by particle melting points, with murumuru and tucumã particles exhibiting higher density, increased fluidity, and reduced cohesion compared to those containing cupuaçu butter. These characteristics have important implications for industrial applications and handling processes, favoring lower cohesion and higher flowability. Anthocyanin retention efficiency ranged from 91% to 86%, exhibiting a correlation with particle melting points, indicating greater retention in particles with higher melting points.

Conclusão

In conclusion, Amazonian butters demonstrate significant potential as encapsulating materials for hibiscus dye production via spray chilling, offering avenues for further exploration in the development of additional ingredients or dyes for food applications.