Abstract
The thermoplastic and hygroscopic behaviors of date syrup (DS) challenge the DS drying process. In this context, DS was mixed with 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% acacia gum (AG) and subjected to a drum dryer. The chemical composition, bulk density (pb), caking degree (CD), glass transition temperature (Tg), and color values of DS powders were studied. The sorption isotherms were also obtained and compared to that of those predicted by mathematical models. According to the results, increasing the AG concentration enhanced the moisture content, pb, brightness, and Tg while it reduced the CD and equilibrium moisture sorption. All DS powders had type III isotherm behavior, i.e., similar to high-sugar foods. Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) and Peleg models were found to be suitable for fitting the experimental data and these models explained the monolayer moisture content decrease with increasing AG concentration. These results of the present study, for the first time, verified that the AG can be used as a natural anti-plasticizer agent for DS powder production.
Highlights
The fruit of the palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) has played a crucial role in providing energy and nutritional components, such as dietary fibers, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins B and C, for humans during the past millennia [1,2]
This paper described the first attempt to improve the physical stability of date syrup through the incorporation of a natural hydrocolloid, i.e., acacia gum
The results showed that this gum can be successfully incorporated into date syrup as an anti-plasticizer to make the production of date syrup powder feasible
Summary
The fruit of the palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) has played a crucial role in providing energy and nutritional components, such as dietary fibers, minerals (selenium, copper, potassium, and magnesium), antioxidants (carotenoids and phenolics), and vitamins B and C, for humans during the past millennia [1,2]. Date syrup (DS) powder could be produced from surplus dates as a healthier alternative to refined sugar considering its health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-mutagenic. It was reported that DS is very difficult to dry due to its thermoplastic and hygroscopic behavior [7]. It contains high concentrations of fructose (31%) and glucose (30%) [8] with glass transition temperatures (Tg) of −5 and 32 ◦ C, respectively [9,10]. Combinations of AG, modified starch, maltodextrin, and anticaking agents (e.g., tricalcium phosphate, and glycerol monostearate) have been proposed to improve the drying process of high-sugar syrups [9,12]
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