Production and characterization of pectin gels filled with emulsions incorporating vitamin D3

• Grant number: 17/10699-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Samantha Cristina de Pinho
• Grantee: Beatriz Gonçalves Franco
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Interest in the fortified food market is growing more and more, and as consumer interest grows, new products are developed to target specific niches such as the vegetarian and vegan. For this particular market, it is important that such foods do not contain ingredients of animal origin. Currently, a large part of the population suffers from vitamin D deficiency, as sun exposure has declined over the years, and consequently the production of such a nutrient, which is essential for the proper functioning of the body. Therefore, the addition of vitamin D as a fortifier in food is a growing need. An excellent way to develop vitamin D-fortified foods can be to structure them in the form of emulsion-loaded gels, which have the advantage of being able to carry active components both lipophilic (encapsulated in oil droplets) and hydrophilic (entrapped in Gel network). Vitamin D3 is a hydrophobic vitamin, produced on the skin by exposure to sunlight or ingested from animal products, especially fish and seafood. Its deficiency can affect the absorption and fixation of calcium in bones, teeth and also regulation of homeostasis. Vitamin D3 undergoes degradation in the presence of light and oxygen, so to be incorporated into food it must be protected (through encapsulation techniques, for example) to be better preserved. In order to make a gel emulsion-laden structured product interesting for an audience with animal ingredient ingestion restrictions, the development of emulsions stabilized with emulsifiers of vegetable origin becomes important. Among such emulsifiers, mention may be made of gum arabic, either alone or in combination with other polysaccharides, such as inulin. Among the interesting polysaccharides for structuring a gelled food product is pectin. The present project of Scientific Initiation aims to produce pectin gels loaded with emulsion, incorporating vitamin D3, that can be used in the structuring of a product to be consumed by any person who wishes to supplement their intake with such nutrient, including the vegetarian / vegan. This Scientific Initiation Project also aims to assist the Marluci Ghiraldi Master's project (process FAPESP 2016 / 21760-1), expanding the range of formulations tested. (AU)