The effect of Arabic gum and maltodextrin on the physicochemical properties of vacuum-dried stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) extract powder

Abstract

Stevia extract powder was one form of natural sweetener that has not been widely produced. The antioxidant and phenolic content provided benefits as a sweetener. The purpose of this research was to examine the physicochemical features of stevia extract powder. Stevia extract powder contains health-beneficial antioxidant compounds. In the vacuum-dried encapsulating technique, Arabic gum and maltodextrin (DE 18) were used as two coating ingredients. Physicochemical characteristics such as hygroscopic rate, repose angle, colour analysis, magnitude estimation of sweetness level, hedonic test, antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, total phenolic activity using spectrophotometric techniques, and stevioside with HighPerformance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) in stevia extract powder. Arabic gum: maltodextrin ratio 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 were added to the coating material. Maltodextrin used in this study can lead to an increase in the rate of hygroscopicity and the angle of bulk stevia extract powder, while the use of Arabic gum could decrease the rate of hygroscopicity and the repose angle of stevia extract powder. Arabic gum produced a powder with a more stable stevia extract. Stevia extract powder ratio 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 have hygroscopic rate were 1.40×10-4 gH2O/g, 1.47×10-4 gH2O/g, 1.54×10-4 gH2O/g respectively, angles of repose were 31.35±0.4⁰, 33.21±0.1⁰, 34.05±0.09⁰ respectively, antioxidant activity (IC50) of 205.24 μg/mL, 304.22 μg/mL, 431.30 μ/mL respectively, total phenolic activities were 1.52%, 0.9%, 0.48% respectively, stevioside contents were 0.0731%, 0.0498%, 0.0406% respectively, and of the treatment with stevia extract powder 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 were 4.70, 4.41, 3.28 times respectively, (the 10 times corresponds sucrose concentration). Based on the physicochemical properties, it can be seen that the best ratio of Arabic gum and maltodextrin in stevia extract powder was 1:1, but the highest ratio of 1: 3 was the most favoured by the panellist.