Retention Of Phenolic Compounds Research Articles

Effect of drying on bioactive compounds in Eugenia uniflora fruit pulp

AbstractEugenia uniflora is a tropical species rich in bioactive compounds that are highly sensitive to processing conditions, particularly those involving heat. Drying is a widely used method for preserving fruit pulp which can affect the stability of these bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of drying at different temperatures on the retention of phenolic compounds and carotenoids present in the pulp of E. uniflora, with the goal of optimizing the drying process to preserve the pulp's quality. The E. uniflora pulp was dried in an oven with air circulation at three temperatures (45, 65, and 85°C). During the drying process, the moisture content and concentration of phenolics, β‐carotene, and lycopene were measured over time. After 260 min of drying, phenolic compounds decreased by 63.97% (45 and 65°C) and by 59.62% (85°C). Carotenoids losses were even more pronounced exceeding 89%, for all temperatures, with β‐carotene reductions of 92.91%, 90.72%, and 91.11%, at 45, 65, and 85°C, respectively. Several well‐established drying models were tested to represent the moisture content over time. Two models exhibited a high adherence to the experimental data. Zero‐order, first‐order, and second‐order degradation models were used to describe the concentrations of phenolic compounds and carotenoids. For total carotenoids, the model that showed the best results was temperature‐dependent. The first‐order model provided the best fit for β‐carotene and lycopene, with high R2 values of 0.9852 (45°C), 0.9776 (65°C), and 0.9681(85°C) for β‐carotene, and 0.9776 (45°C), 0.9715 (65°C), and 0.9659 (85°C) for lycopene. These results indicate that higher temperatures accelerate the degradation of bioactive compounds, following a predictable dynamic that can be optimized through adjustments to the drying process.Practical applicationsThe fruit of Eugenia uniflora contains phenolic and carotenoid compounds with significant nutraceutical potential. However, the production of this fruit is seasonal, necessitating effective preservation methods. Drying, which involves the removal of water from the pulp, is a common procedure aimed at extending the fruit's conservation and shelf life. Despite its benefits, the drying process poses a challenge, as bioactive compounds like phenolic and carotenoids are sensitive to thermal processing. Their degradation during drying can lead to a reduction in the fruit's bioactive potential. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the kinetics of drying and the degradation of these bioactive compounds to optimize the drying process and maximize the fruit's nutraceutical value.

Elderberry pomace for food/nutraceutical product development: impact of drying methods and simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on phenolic profile and bioaccessibility

SummaryThe aim of this work was to develop ingredients from elderberry pomace (EP) analysing the effect of different drying methods (conventional air‐drying (C), freeze‐drying (F), and fluidised‐bed drying (FB)) on phenolic compounds retention and their bioaccessibility. The dry pomaces were chemically characterised before and after an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (GID). Cianidin‐3‐glucoside and rutin were the main phenolic compounds determined by HPLC‐DAD. After GID, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were drastically reduced regardless of the drying process. Freeze‐drying better preserved the total polyphenol and monomeric anthocyanin content, and the antioxidant capacity, however, EP‐C and EP‐FB presented more bioaccessible antioxidant compounds than EP‐F. Fluidised‐bed drying generated, in a shorter drying time, a more bioaccessible granular product (EP‐FB), that could be used directly in ready‐to‐eat foods. EP‐C and EP‐F products could be used as functional foods or nutraceutical ingredients. Also, the obtained elderberry products were not cytotoxic against the Caco‐2 cell line.

Encapsulation of citrus polyphenols in multi-phase nano-emulsion: Preservative potential, bio-accessibility and cytotoxicity studies

Phenolic compounds in Citrus reticulata peels offer established nutraceutical benefits, contributing to improved health and well-being. However, their applications in the food industry are limited due to susceptibility to chemical degradation from oxygen, light, and heat. This study explores a novel approach to address this challenge by using ultrasonication to encapsulate these phenolic compounds in nano-emulsion. The developed nano-emulsions exhibited an average droplet size of 332 ± 14.67 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.29 ± 0.002, and a ζ-potential of -19 ± 1.82 mV. The major phenolic compounds observed in the nano-emulsion using HPLC included gallic acid (356.5 ± 1.41), p-coumaric acid (201.43 ± 0.81), chlorogenic acid (373.93 ± 4.38), ferulic acid (1278.8 ± 9.09), hesperidin (1192.56 ± 8.61), naringenin (570.63 ± 0.88), and quercetin (419.75 ± 4.47) μg/g. Encapsulated extract showed higher bio-accessibility compared to non-encapsulated extract. Specifically, the bio-accessibility index for total phenolic content was 42.80% and 73.89%, TFC was 44.75% and 75.70%, DPPH activity was 71.68% and 78.57%, and FRAP activity was 50.10% and 69.35% for phenolic extract and nano-emulsion, respectively. During 90 days of storage studies, maximum stability was observed for emulsions stored under refrigerated conditions, with 82.65% retention of phenolic compounds and 88.14% retention of antioxidant activity. Moreover, in addition to enhanced stability and bioavailability, the nano-emulsions demonstrated notable antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as pathogenic molds, showcasing promising preservative potential. Further, it was observed that the nano-emulsion exhibited no cytotoxic effects on Vero-cell lines (cell viability >85%). These findings suggested the potential application of these nano-emulsions in various facets of the food industry.

Direct contact membrane distillation for surface water treatment and phenolic compounds retention: From bench to pilot scale

Membrane distillation has been applied in water treatment for micropollutant retention, such as phenols. Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is the most studied configuration at the bench scale. Translating lab-scale results to large-scale experiments requires attention. In general, by combining both experiment's results, optimal settings, and process conditions can be better determined. Thus, the DCMD scaling up for water treatment and phenols retention was evaluated. As expected, permeate flux reduced considerably from bench to pilot scale (15.8 ± 0.8–2.9 ± 0.1 kg m−2 h−1) due to the inflow energy limitations, membrane compaction, and temperature polarization. Increasing the permeate recovery (50–70 %) did not affect the permeate flux and the compound's retained in both systems. The pilot system was validated with different surface water matrices (14.2, 92.5, and 162 NTU), proving the DCMD robustness. In all operational conditions, the permeate reached the water quality guideline required for human consumption demonstrating the technology consistency and reliability. A preliminary economic analysis, considering three different scenarios (distributed system for communities, mobile system, and polishing for conventional WTP), showed the DCMD as a relatively competitive technology for the application in drinking water polishing (US$ 0.50–0.19/m3).

Stability of Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Activity and Color Parameters in Colored-Flesh Potato Chips.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) chips are the most consumed snacks worldwide today. Colored potato chips prepared from potato cultivars with red and purple flesh are a novel alternative to traditional potato chips because of their higher phenolic compound content, such as anthocyanins and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCADs), which might make these chips healthier compared with traditional chips. There is little information on the stability of these compounds. In this study, the nutritional value of these chips was evaluated by determining phenolic profiles, antioxidant activity and color parameters with liquid chromatography diode array and mass spectrometry detection (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) and spectrophotometric methods during storage for four months. Five anthocyanins and three HCADs were detected, with the latter compounds being the most abundant, with concentrations on average between the first (97.82 mg kg-1) and the last (31.44 mg kg-1) week of storage. Similar trends were observed in antioxidant activity and stability, with the CUPRAC method showing the highest response among all the methods employed. The color indices were stable throughout the storage time. Based on these results, colored-flesh potato chips are an optimal alternative for consumption because of their high retention of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity during storage, providing potential benefits to human health.

Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) Processing and Extraction: Retention of Bioactive Compounds.

Ilex paraguariensis is a native tree from South America known for the presence of bioactive compounds, and its processed leaves are consumed as hot and cold infusions. After harvest (step 1), the leaves are subjected to flame blanching to inactive the enzymes (step 2), followed by drying and milling (step 3). The impacts of I. paraguariensis processing on leaf composition were investigated by extracting the major compounds (chlorogenic and isochlorogenic acids (3-CQA, 4-CQA, 5-CQA, 3,4-DQA, 3,5-DQA and 4,5-DQA), p-coumaric acid, caffeine and rutin) using different ratios of ethanol and water as extraction solvent (EW 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25 (w/w)). The solvent ratio of EW 50:50 was more effective in extracting the chlorogenic acids isomers, with retention of chlorogenic acids of 3463, 9485, and 9516µg mL- 1 for steps 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Rutin and p-coumaric acid exhibited similar behavior with the increment of processing steps; however, p-coumaric acid was only detected in steps 2 and 3 for the solvent ratios EW 50:50 and 25:50. The caffeine extraction from I. paraguariensis varied from 936 to 1170µg mL- 1 for all processing steps, with emphasis on its concentration extracted in step 1. The evolution of processing steps led to a higher retention of phenolic compounds from I. paraguariensis, which was not observed when using different solvent ratios, and the solvent ratio EW 50:50 was more effective for the extraction of chlorogenic acids. The successful extraction of chlorogenic acids from I. paraguariensis in this study proved to be a promising alternative for the use of yerba mate beyond the cuia cup.

Microencapsulation of phenolic compounds from cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) agro-food waste: Physicochemical characterization, antioxidant activity, biodisponibility and stability

In the present study was evaluated the microencapsulation of cashew apple waste hydroalcoholic extracts rich in bioactive compounds by spray drying using maltodextrin and inulin as encapsulating agents. The maximum total phenolic content (TPC = 668.25 mg GAE 100 g−1) was extracted using 60% of grain ethanol acidified with 2.0% of citric acid. An encapsulating efficiency (68.38%) and retention of phenolic compounds (51.48%) with moderate antioxidant activities were observed using a mixture of maltodextrin (75%) and inulin (25%). The spray-dried microparticles presented a spherical shape without roughness, thus contributing to maintain the stability of the microencapsulated food ingredient. The microparticles obtained was submitted to in vitro digestion and after this process was observed a retention of 61.85% and 48.65% of TPC and ABTS radical scavenging activity, respectively. Moreover, a high recovery (RI = 102.4%) and suitable bioacessibily (BI = 52.32%) also observed. The stability storage of microparticles was evaluated during 60-days in terms of physicochemical parameters, powder properties, antioxidant activity, profile of phenolic compounds and organic acids, being observed suitable maintenance of phenolic content during the storage. The results obtained indicates bioactive-rich microparticles obtained is an interesting alternative for utilization as ingredient for enrichment of food products and nutraceutical formulas.

Impact of different drying techniques on grapefruit peels and subsequent optimization of ultrasonic extraction conditions for bioactive compounds

AbstractThis research aims to investigate the effect of different drying methods on the phytochemical compounds of grapefruit peels and the subsequent optimization of ultrasonicated assisted extraction conditions for bioactive compounds. Based on the maximum retention of phenolic compounds and naringin content, the hot air‐drying approach was selected for optimization of extraction process. The Box–Behnken design was used for ultrasonic‐assisted extraction (UAE) of bioactive compounds from hot air‐dried peel powder. Three factors such as solvent concentration (SC), ultrasonic amplitude (UA), and sonication time (ST) were considered for optimize the extraction condition based on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), naringin content, and total antioxidant activities (TAA). UV‐spectrophotometric and HPLC was used for the determination in this study. The results revealed that UA and ST had significant effects on all the extraction responses. Based on the numerical optimization, the optimum extraction condition was found to be 48% (v/v) ethanol concentration, 40% ultrasonic amplitude, and 13 min sonication time. The respective optimum phytochemicals and antioxidant activity responses were obtained as TPC (78.5 mg GAE/g dw), TFC (53.5 mg naringin/g dw), naringin content (40.8 mg/g dw), and total antioxidant activities by DPPH assay (25.5 mM Trolox/g dw), ABTS*+ assay (4050 mM Trolox/100 g dw) and FRAP assay (17.45 Fe [II]/g dw).Practical ApplicationsFruit peels are a rich and valuable bioactive residue obtained from the various juice and beverage processing industries. Grapefruit peels are an abundant source of antioxidants and bioflavonoids such as naringin and hesperidin, which have huge potential as a functional ingredients. The optimum extraction condition obtained by this UAE technique has higher levels of polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids, particularly naringin, which shows a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical sector and might be a way towards its effective sources of utilization in functional foods.

Clarification of red araçá (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) juice by membrane process: Analysis of permeate flux and loss of bioactive compounds

Red araçá (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) juice was processed using porous membranes to obtain a clarified product with a high amount of phenolic compounds prior to its use as a juice or other beverage. The variations in the permeate flux and concentrations of phenolics were determined in a cross-flow system using a polyetherimide microfiltration membrane (0.44 µm) and polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane (50 kDa). Both membranes reduced the initial turbidity (445 ± 2) to almost zero, and resulted in a clear and transparent permeate with a yellow colour. The microfiltration membrane showed better performance with the lowest phenolic compound retention (23.6%) and the highest permeate flux (40.6 ± 2 kg/m2h) in batch mode operation. The permeate flux of the microfiltration system showed an initial sharp decrease followed by a gradual decrease, reaching almost 60% lower than the initial permeate flux. The permeate flux resistance was mainly due to the polarised layer (70.2%), and the predominant fouling mechanism was the partial pore blockage, thus indicating that the solids present in the raw juice had size of the same order as the membrane pores.

The enhancement of sappanwood extract drying with foaming agent under different temperature

<abstract> <p>Sappanwood (<italic>Caesalpinia sappan</italic> Linn) contains brazilin, a natural antioxidant. It can be extracted and dried to obtain a dry extract powder. However, sappanwood extract drying is difficult due to its tendency to form a jelly-like structure, which strongly traps water molecules. This research studies the effect of foaming agents (egg albumin and gum Arabic) as well as the drying temperatures (40, 60, and 80 ℃) on the drying kinetics and physicochemical properties of the sappanwood extract powder. The water removal can be well expressed by the Page model. The addition of a foaming agent as well as the increase in drying temperature significantly speed up the drying process. However, at a temperature of 80℃, the effect of the foaming agents was less significant, and the dry extract became dark brown due to the occurrence of the Maillard reaction. By considering those trade-off phenomena, optimization with response surface methodology (RSM) was performed. The results indicated that sappanwood extract could be fully dried using a mixture of 5% egg albumin and 25% gum Arabic as the foaming agent at 64.1 ℃, the in just 64.7 minutes or 7 times shorter compared to the drying without foaming agent. Under these drying conditions, the total phenolic compound retention was up to 87.25%.</p> </abstract>

Multi-stage block freeze concentration via gravitational method applied to increase of the nutritional content of Morinda citrifolia L. tea

The processing of Morinda citrifolia fruit normally results in a large number of waste leaves that hold many bioactive compounds with nutritional and pharmacological properties. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of a multi-stage block freeze concentration (BFC) via gravitational method on the physicochemical properties of the leaf extract (noni tea). The results in solid retention showed fractions almost 7 times most concentrated than the initial feed. In addition, when compared to the initial content, the BFC process showed an efficiency higher than 90% in the retention of phenolic compounds. Assays in liquid chromatography allowed the detection and quantification of phenolic compounds, in which the total amount increased by more than 1000% in relation to the initial content after each BFC step. Finally, it was also possible to observe a significant increase in the antioxidant activity of the concentrated product after the simulated in vitro digestion process. It was concluded that using a non-thermal, sustainable, low-cost processing, promoted the obtaining of concentrated fractions with high biological and nutritional values with promising properties for application in the development of functional foods from agroindustrial wastes.

Improving liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry sensitivity for characterization of lignin oligomers and phenolic compounds using acetic acid as a mobile phase additive

Characterization of complex lignin degradation products by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) requires a high sensitivity, which can be improved by use of optimized mobile phase additive. In this study, chromatographic separation and ionization efficiency for LC-MS analysis of lignin oligomers and lignin-derived phenolic compounds were compared among six different mobile phase additives. We found that acetic acid exhibits analytical performance superior to the other mobile phase additives for characterization of lignin degradation products by LC-(−)-ESI-MS/MS. The retention of phenolic compounds (PCs) containing carboxylic group was improved by using acidic additives instead of their ammonium salts. The use of acetic acid as an LC mobile phase additive enhanced the ionization efficiency of PCs in (−)-ESI-MS about 2 to 4 times higher than the other additives. The improved MS sensitivity with acetic acid yielded a higher coverage of fragment ions in LC-MS/MS analysis, leading to identification of four additional synthetic G-type lignin oligomers (LOs) than ammonium acetate. A similar degree of sensitivity enhancement was also demonstrated for degradation products from rice straw lignin using acetic acid additive over the others. The increased chromatographic retention and enhanced sensitivity of PCs and LOs provided by the use of acetic acid as an LC-(−)-ESI-MS mobile phase additive will facilitate structural analysis of lignin degradation products without relying on additional instrumentation.

Steam blanching and ethanol pretreatment enhance drying rates and improve the quality attributes of apple slices via microstructure modification

The effect of steam blanching (SB) and ethanol pretreatment (EP) (75–95% [v/v], 10–25 min) on the drying characteristics and quality attributes of apple slices with hot air drying (HD) (60°C, 1.5 m/s) was evaluated. The drying time was reduced by 10.71% and 19.64–47.32% with SB and various EPs compared with fresh; the drying rate and effective moisture diffusion coefficient significantly accelerated. EP resulted in a higher water loss and solid loss of the apple samples. Furthermore, EP greatly affected the rehydration rate and microstructure of dried apple slices. In addition, SB and EP played a positive role in improving the quality of dried apple slices, particularly a higher phytochemical concentration, and antioxidant activities compared with fresh, and EP groups exhibited higher retention of phenolic compounds. Besides, all the dried apple slices with SB and EPs showed a brighter color than the fresh. Therefore, SB and EP can be used as appropriate pretreatment methods for the HD of apples. This combination of the two pretreatment methods provides a theoretical basis for the pretreatment technology before drying of apple and broadens the train of thought in the selection of osmotic media. Novelty impact statement Steam blanching and ethanol pretreatments contribute to the drying rate and quality of apple slices. The pretreatments of E85T25 and E95T25 significantly shorten the drying time, E95T25 shows the highest retention of phenolic compounds, and E85T25 shows the highest phytochemical concentration. E85T25 and E95T25 are suitable pretreatment methods for the HD of apple slices.

Green gold: refining crude Miraa (Catha edulis) into a real green gold

Miraa (Catha edulis) is a very lucrative psychoactive crop for the farmers in lower parts of Meru county and Embu county. However, its handling is unhygienic and it’s a perishable crop. Withering and drying leads to conversion of the stimulating compound; cathinone to a less stimulating compound; cathine. Therefore, it has to be transported to the market within the shortest time possible. This has led to culture of high speed driving of miraa delivery pick-ups and lorries. This is both unsafe to the miraa transporters as well as other road users leading to high records of fatal road accidents. Once in the market, the twigs are chewed raw without any value addition. This form of presentation and chewing makes it look unaesthetic, archaic and primitive. The objective of this study was to determine microbial load and evaluate the possibility of extending the shelf-life and development of various processed products from miraa while retaining the active ingredients. The miraa twigs for all the studies were purchased from the local vendors in Meru. Microbial load of miraa from different miraa vending points around Meru town, these are; Nchiru, Kianjai, Ruiri, Makutano and Meru town was studied. Shelf-life of miraa was studied by storing miraa at ambient temperature, refrigerated conditions (4-8 °C) and humidity chamber. Weight loss and total phenolic compounds were monitored. Miraa was processed into unflavoured and flavoured infusion bags. Miraa sourced from Meru town exhibited the highest microbial load compared to the other vending points. This is associated to environmental contaminants and high number of handlers. Miraa stored at ambient temperature exhibited the highest weight loss and reduction in total phenolic compounds while that stored in humidity chamber showed the lowest weight loss and highest retention of phenolic compounds after 72 hours. Consumer tests preferred miraa infusion bags as hygienic with moderate stimulation effects. The results showed that it’s possible to store miraa for up to 72 hours and to prepare miraa infusion bag with stimulatory effects.

Effect of precooking process and drying methods on the physicochemical, microstructure, and sensory properties of spinach-enriched lasagna pasta

In this study, the effect of drying methods (hot-air and infrared (IR)) and precooking process on spinach-enriched lasagna pasta was investigated. Combination of precooking and IR drying process ended in a lasagna pasta with a shorter optimal cooking time (about 10.60 times) and higher water absorption (about 1.34 times) compared with samples produced with the conventional hot-air drying. Also, precooking and IR drying method had a significant effect on the color of final samples; according to the results of sensory evaluation, application of precooking-IR drying process resulted in a lasagna pasta with better color. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) results showed that the crystal structures of the non-precooked samples were completely different from the precooked ones. These findings were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. Texture evaluation indicated that the drying methods influenced the hardness of products; in precooking-IR dried lasagna pasta, the hardness was 1.85 times higher than those produced with the conventional hot-air drying. Precooking the samples and drying them with IR improved the retention of phenolic compounds during cooking about 2.75 times higher than conventional samples. From a sensory point of view, the highest score of overall desirability was related to precooked lasagna pasta processed with IR dryer.

Phenolic compounds from passion fruit rinds using ultrasound-assisted pressurized liquid extraction and nanofiltration

Ultrasound-Assisted Pressurized Liquid Extraction (UAPLE) and Nanofiltration (NF) were performed in 70% ethanol to recover and concentrate bioactive compounds from passion fruit rinds. Polyamide Thin-Film Composite membranes with nominal MWCO between 150 and 300 Da provided good retention of phenolic compounds (74–89%) and antioxidant capacity (84–96%) with a maximum mass concentration factor 1.4. The membrane surface showed particle deposition and fouling after filtration using AFM, SEM and FTIR, resulting in reductions of permeate mass fluxes of 50–57%. Isoorientin was the main phenolic compound found in the retentates. Integrated UAPLE and NF is a promising process to recover and concentrate phenolic compounds from passion fruit rinds.

Convective drying of mango enriched with phenolic compounds from grape residue flour under different impregnation methods

This work evaluated the effect of convective drying of mango impregnated with grape residue flour polyphenols under different vacuum impregnation methods with or without performing osmotic treatment and ultrasound on the global quality of dried mango in relation to chemical, microbiological and sensory aspects. Higher retention of carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and ascorbic acid was obtained with shorter drying times and lower oxygen exposure. Impregnated dried samples submitted to ultrasound-assisted vacuum impregnation showed a higher drying rate, greater retention of carotenoids (6.77 µg/g DM), and softer samples. Greater retention of phenolic compounds (1.84 mg GAE/g DM) was obtained for osmotic dehydration-assisted vacuum impregnation dried mango, while osmosonication-assisted impregnation was able to retain the highest ascorbic acid content (7.05 mg/100 g DM). Sensory evaluation showed that the impregnated samples showed good acceptance. The combination of osmotic dehydration and ultrasound could be a suitable way to produce dried mango impregnated with grape residue polyphenols.

Fouling control investigation by pH optimization during olive mill wastewater ultrafiltration

In recent years, the study of membrane processes for recovery of valuable phenolic compounds from olive mill wastewater (OMW) has been intensified. The selected OMW pH for ultrafiltration is one of the variables affecting membrane productivity, selectivity and fouling. An in-depth characterization of fouling was performed for the 150 kDa ceramic tubular membrane selected. At the three tested pH (2, 6 and 9), a high retention of suspended matter of 98% was associated to a low retention of phenolic compounds (1%). At pH 2, a volume reduction of only 15% was reached with a low permeate flux of 15 L.h-1.m-2. Adsorption phenomena due to the formation of a compact gel layer of pectin highly mineralized have caused severe membrane fouling. The productivity at pH 6 and 9 were quite similar with initial permeate flux of 160 L.h-1.m-2 and a final reached volume reduction of 80%. As a fractionation of around 25% of carbohydrate content was measured at pH 6, this specific pH seems to be more relevant than pH 9 where only 7% were retained. Furthermore ultrafiltration of OMW at pH 6 was associated with a removable fouling mainly caused by a gel of pectin and suspended matter agglomerates.

Phenolic Compound Profile by UPLC-MS/MS and Encapsulation with Chitosan of Spondias mombin L. Fruit Peel Extract from Cerrado Hotspot-Brazil.

Taperebá (Spondias mombin L.) is a native species of the Brazilian Cerrado that has shown important characteristics such as a significant phenolic compound content and biological activities. The present study aimed to characterize the phenolic compound profile and antioxidant activity in taperebá peel extract, as well as microencapsulating the extract with chitosan and evaluating the stability of the microparticles. The evaluation of the profile of phenolic compounds was carried out by UPLC-MS/MS. The in vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS methods. The microparticles were obtained by spray drying and were submitted to a stability study under different temperatures. In general, the results showed a significant content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity. The results of UPLC-MS/MS demonstrated a significant content of polyphenols in taperebá peel, highlighting the high content of ellagic acid and quercetin compounds. There was significant retention of phenolic compounds when microencapsulated, demonstrating high retention at all evaluated temperatures. This study is the first to microencapsulate the extract of taperebá peel, in addition to identifying and quantifying some compounds in this fruit.

Fouling in the membrane distillation treating superficial water with phenolic compounds

The production of drinking water free of micropollutants is a challenge that has currently received a lot of attention. Micropollutants, such as phenolic compounds, are not removed from conventional water treatment systems and may occur in drinking water. The removal of these compounds in the quest to achieve sustainable water management makes advanced technologies, such as membrane distillation, important. However, the long-term use of membrane distillation is restricted by membrane fouling, while how this process behaves towards micropollutant removal has been unanswered. In this regard, this study aims to evaluate the impact of fouling in the direct contact membrane distillation on the rejection of 15 phenolic compounds in surface water. According to the results, the process achieved a recovery rate of 93.26%, without compromising the permeate quality. Fouling was mainly attributed to organic elements from surface water, particularly those with sizes ranging from 1.143 to 1.214 µm that were comparable to bacteria. The fouling layer formed favored the concentration of the phenolic compound in the feed solution with practically no mass loss in the process. The average removals of phenolic compounds varied from 94.30 ± 1.93% to 99.24 ± 0.24%. Thus, although fouling occurred, membrane distillation was robust in phenolic compounds retention and produced high-quality water.