Abstract
In this study, the assessment of TPC and antioxidant activity enhancement of medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) aqueous extracts using natural sweeteners or encapsulation materials was carried out. MAP extracts fortified with polyphenols were used to produce biofunctional chocolate bites. Honey or erythritol added to Melissa officinalis concentrated aqueous extracts exhibited TPC at 19.53 mg GAE/mL and 18.24 mg GAE/mL, respectively, and DPPH radical scavenging activity greater than 82%, comparing to its non-concentrated aqueous extract (3.74 mg GAE/mL and 72.9%, respectively). Honey added to MAP concentrated aqueous extract mixtures presented up to twofold higher TPC compared to M. officinalis concentrated aqueous extracts with honey. Chocolate bites with MAP concentrated aqueous extract mixtures and honey exhibited TPC and DPPH radical scavenging activity at 29.48 mg GAE/g chocolate and 93.7%, respectively. The addition of gum arabic or inulin in MAP concentrated aqueous extract mixtures increased the TPC up to 12-fold (40.37 mg GAE/mL and 34.14 mg GAE/mL, respectively) compared to its non-concentrated aqueous extracts (3.38 mg GAE/mL), whereas DPPH radical scavenging activity approached 99.5%. Honey incorporation as a sweetener and polyphenolic compound encapsulation in gum arabic can lead to the production of biofunctional foods with elevated cytoprotective action without compromising their organoleptic attributes.
Highlights
The increasing demand for natural compounds, following the concerns about the side effects of synthetic compounds, has greatly promoted the use of plant extracts as functional ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industries
The phenolic content in medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) extracts makes them good candidates as food additives; their concentration decreases during food processing since they are very sensitive to heat, oxygen, and light [4]
Chocolate bites fortified with MAP mixtures of concentrated aqueous extracts and honey as natural sweetener can be an excellent source of bioactive compounds, increasing the total phenolic content (TPC) up to twofold comparing to chocolate base, approaching 33.00 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g chocolate and 94% of DPPH radical scavenging activity
Summary
The increasing demand for natural compounds, following the concerns about the side effects of synthetic compounds, has greatly promoted the use of plant extracts as functional ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The phenolic content in MAP extracts makes them good candidates as food additives; their concentration decreases during food processing since they are very sensitive to heat, oxygen, and light [4]. Despite their claimed health-promoting properties, only a small part of them is absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract, probably because of their low solubility and permeability. Polyphenols confer an astringent and bitter taste to food, which makes them undesirable for most consumers, limiting their use as food additives [5]
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