Sour cherry juice concentrate powdered by high and low temperature spray drying with pea protein as a carrier—Physical properties, antioxidant activity and in vitro bioaccessibility

Abstract

Spray drying of sour cherry juice concentrate was performed by conventional high temperature method (180 °C/80 °C, inlet/outlet air), as well as by innovative approach with dehumidified air and low drying temperature (80 °C/45 °C, inlet/outlet air). Moreover, the possibility to apply pea protein as an alternative carrier to partially replaced maltodextrin was tested. Due to lower drying temperature and reduced stickiness the carrier content was reduced from 50% down to 30% solids to enhance powders physiochemical properties (lower stickiness, hygroscopicity, better color, better bioaccessibility), although some parameters of variants produced with the addition of pea protein had poorer quality in comparison to powders with only maltodextrin (moisture content, water activity, particles morphology and size, glass transition temperature). Increased bioaccessibility of phenolics and antioxidant potential of pea protein-enriched samples indicated the potentially possible application in functional food.