Protective capacity of gum Arabic, maltodextrin, different starches, and fibers on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of an orange puree (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) against freeze-drying and in vitro digestion

Abstract

Dehydrated fruit puree may be a convenient way to promote the healthy consumption of fruit based foods. Drying carriers, highly used by the food industry to stabilize dried fruit products, may show a potential encapsulating capacity of the biocompounds, that could also limit their bioaccesibility. This study analyzed the impact of gum Arabic (GA), bamboo fiber (BF), native corn starch, starch substituted with octenylsuccinic groups, pea fiber, and maltodextrin on the in vitro bioaccessibility of vitamin C (VC), total phenols (TP), and β-carotene, as well as on the antioxidant capacity during the freeze-drying and in vitro digestion of an orange puree. Amongst the formulations studied, GA + BF was the most effective for phytochemicals protection of the freeze-dried orange puree during the intestinal stage of digestion, resulting in a higher TP and VC bioaccessibility (59% and 36%, respectively).