Application of functional compounds from agro-industrial residues of Brazilian's tropical fruits extracted by sustainable methods in alginate-chitosan microparticles

Author(s)

Castro, Luiz Eduardo Nochi ; Barroso, Tiago Linhares Cruz Tabosa ; Ferreira, Vanessa Cosme ; Sganzerla, William Gustavo ; Queiroz, Matheus ; Ribeiro, Leomara Floriano ; Forster-Carneiro, Tania

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BIOACTIVE CARBOHYDRATES AND DIETARY FIBRE; v. 32, p. 12-pg., 2024-08-11.

Abstract

The extraction and encapsulation of bioactive compounds have emerged as promising strategies to enhance their utility in various industrial applications. This study explores functional compounds derived from tropical fruit waste, including grape pomace, jabuticaba, and dragon fruit. These compounds were extracted using sustainable methods such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, maceration, and pressurized liquid extraction for incorporation into alginate and chitosan microparticles. Among the extraction methods employed, pressurized liquid extraction demonstrated the highest efficiency in recovering phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and betalains. The optimized microparticles were tailored to specific fruit sources, with chitosan concentrations of 0.19%, 0.27%, and 0.34%, and alginate concentrations of 2.26%, 1.79%, and 1.73% for grape pomace, dragon fruit husk, and jabuticaba peel, respectively. These microparticles exhibited encapsulation efficiencies ranging from 98.43% to 99.78%. Furthermore, they displayed low solubility (0.23%-0.39%) and high hygroscopicity (38.92%-41.01%). In vitro gastrointestinal digestibility tests showed that the bioaccessibility of the phenolic compounds reached up to 95%. This finding suggests that the encapsulated bioactive compounds remain highly bioavailable, making them potentially valuable in the development of pharmaceutical and health products as well as functional foods. In conclusion, this research underscores the significance of valorizing tropical fruit by-products in Brazil through pressurized liquid extraction, followed by their efficient encapsulation within alginate and chitosan matrices. This process not only reduces waste but also opens up exciting avenues for applications in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/26925-7 - Development of an automated system for biofuel precursor production using sub-critical technology
• Grantee: William Gustavo Sganzerla
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 18/14938-4 - Waste2energy: integration of supercritical technologies and anaerobic digestion through an automated system for the production of biofuel precursors
• Grantee: Tânia Forster Carneiro
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants - Phase 2
• FAPESP's process: 21/04096-9 - Integration of the extraction/hydrolysis processes in subcritical water and purification for the valuation of grape bagasse in a biorrefinery concept
• Grantee: Luiz Eduardo Nochi de Castro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 23/02064-8 - Sustainable bioprocesses for the valorization of cashew apple bagasse (Anacardium occidentale): integration of hydrothermal pretreatment and fermentation processes to produce value-added compounds in a biorefinery concept
• Grantee: Tiago Linhares Cruz Tabosa Barroso
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 20/16248-5 - Purification of jabuticaba waste extracts by adsorbents and biochar using supercritical technology
• Grantee: Tiago Linhares Cruz Tabosa Barroso
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 22/02305-2 - Evaluation of subcritical water hydrolysis in an automated reactor with in-line analysis of compounds with higher added value from pitaya peels (Hylocereus undatus)
• Grantee: Vanessa Cosme Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master