Spray Drying Inlet Temperature Research Articles

Microencapsulation of hop bioactive compounds by spray drying: Role of inlet temperature and wall material

This study explores the effect of spray-drying (SD) inlet temperatures (Tinlet 120 and 150 °C) and wall material on the chemical and physico-chemical properties of microencapsulated hop extracts (MHE). Hop extract was formulated with maltodextrin (MD) and gum Arabic (GA) used in single or in combination with β-cyclodextrin (βCD). MHE were evaluated for physical properties, bitter acids (BA), total polyphenol content (TPC) and encapsulation efficiency (TPC EE), and antioxidant capacity (AOC). Powders produced at Tinlet 150 °C exhibited the highest flowability and generally higher TPC yield. Besides Tinlet, MD enabled the obtaining of MHE with the highest encapsulation efficiency. Other physico-chemical and antioxidant properties differently varied depending on the Tinlet. Overall, the βCD addition positively affected α-acids, and β-acids of MHE obtained at Tinlet 120 °C. ATR-FTIR analysis showed hydrogen bond formation between hop compounds and βCD. Multifactorial ANOVA highlighted that Tinlet, W, and their interaction influenced almost all the chemical and physico-chemical properties of MHE.

Influence of Spray Drying Inlet Temperature on the Physical Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Black Garlic Extract Powder

Black garlic is a fermented product from garlic (Allium sativum L.) that is processed by heating fresh garlic at a certain temperature and humidity for several days. Black garlic has higher antioxidant activity and is rich in organosulfur compounds. Therefore, black garlic has an unpleasant taste and odor. Spray drying of black garlic extract is important for wider application, preservation and prolongation of its shelf-life. Black garlic powders were produced using SD-18A mini spray dryer. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of inlet temperatures on the physical properties and antioxidant activity of aqueous black garlic powder. The inlet temperatures ranged from 165 to 225 °C, whereas other conditions were kept constant such as maltodextrin concentration (8 %) and feed flow rate (4.5 mL/min). The black garlic powders were examined for powder yield, moisture content, hygroscopicity, bulk density, wettability, antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid content. The optimal conditions for the drying process were achieved with an inlet temperature of 225 °C. An increase in the inlet temperature of the spray dryer has increased the powder yield, hygroscopicity, antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid content of the black garlic powder, but reduced the water content, bulk density and wettability of the spray-dried product. HIGHLIGHTS The best properties of black garlic powder were obtained at an inlet temperature of 225 °C The bioactive compounds of black garlic were stable at high temperatures The higher inlet temperatures increased antioxidant activity in black garlic powders GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Optimization of Highly Porous Mannitol Preparation using Ammonium bicarbonate and Citric acid as Templating Agents with Spray Drying Technique

This study investigated the effect of ammonium bicarbonate and citric acid as templating agents using spray drying technique to improve the porosity of D-mannitol powder. It has been shown that textural properties, such as surface area and pore volume produced, are affected by the type and concentration of templating agents, inlet temperature, and outlet temperature of spray drying. The structure of mannitol powder produced changes considerably due to the change in its textural properties to particle powder with high porosity, surface area, and pore volume. The results show that the ratio of D-mannitol to ammonium bicarbonate 10:5 w/w% with water solvent temperature of 30 oC, spray drying inlet temperature of 120 oC, and spray drying outlet temperature of 70 oC, resulting in the highest porosity, surface area, and pore volume. The surface area of mannitol increased from 1.167 m2/g to 3.571 m2/g, followed by an increase in pore volume from 0.0022 cc/g to 0.012 cc/g and pore diameter from 75.33 Å to 115.2 Å. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) results are consistent with the surface area measurement results using the Surface Area Analyzer (SAA). The resulting spray-dried mannitol powder with a high specific surface area allows it to be used as an excipient in solid formulations of oral preparations.

Encapsulation of Native Strains of Bioagents Trichoderma asperellum and Pseudomonas putida Using Different Biopolymers

Microencapsulation of biological control agents in biopolymer matrices is a valuable alternative to produce formulations with extended shelf-life. In this work, Trichoderma asperellum TAIK 1 conidia and Pseudomonas putida PIK1 bacterial cells were microencapsulated using different wall materials viz., maltodextrin, sodium alginate, carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC), gum arabic, and a cross linking agent gelatin with a hardening material calcium chloride. The encapsulation methods extrusion, emulsification and spray drying was performed using these wall materials. Spray drying process resulted in compact and smooth surface capsule with each individual cell in comparison to the other two methods, confirmed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Further the viablility of organisms were checked, among these the combination maltoderxtrin (2%) + gelatin (1.5%) + CaCl2 (2%) resulted in 70% viability. And also effect of spray-drying inlet and outlet air temperatures were standardized for TAIK 1 and PIK1 spores. Highest conidial survival was shown in inlet and outlet temperature, feed rate/h (1300C, 600C, feed rate 60ml/h for TAIK1) and (1200C, 500C, feed rate 60ml/h for PIK1). Therefore, our study obtained the optimal process for encapsulation of bioagents TAIK1 and PIK1. Thus it can be used as sustainable tool for eco-friendly bio-control agents release.

Influence of Carrier Agents Concentrations and Inlet Temperature on the Physical Quality of Tomato Powder Produced by Spray Drying

The study aims to obtain spray-dried tomato powders with a high and effective product yield and enhanced powder quality. The experiment for this investigation entailed the use of several carrier agents, which were maltodextrin (MD) of 4-7 dextrose equivalents (DE), MD of 10-12 DE, and gum Arabic (GA), each in varied concentrations of 5% and 10% with spray drying inlet temperatures of 140°C, 150°C, and 160°C. Powder yield, bulk density, hygroscopicity, moisture content, water solubility, water absorption, color properties, particle size, and powder morphology were all evaluated in spray-dried tomato powders. The results revealed that the stability of the tomato powder is considerably better at high temperatures and concentrations (at 10%, 160oC), with MD 4-7 DE being the best carrier agent among the three tested carrier agents. According to the powder analysis, the product has a moisture content of 3.17 ± 0.29%, the highest yield percentage of 32.1%, a low bulk density of 0.2943 ± 0.01 g/cm3, the lowest hygroscopicity at 5.67± 0.58 %, a high water solubility index (WSI) at 89.98 ± 1.25%, a low water absorption index (WAI) at 6.22 ± 0.22%, an intermediate particle size of 24.73 µm, and color L*, a*,b* values at 31.59 ± 0.03, 11.62 ± 0.08 and 13.32 ± 0.12. The result showed that at higher temperatures and higher concentrations, the powder characteristics are more likely to have a higher yield, WSI, and larger particle size, as well as lower bulk density, hygroscopicity, moisture content, WAI, and color index.

Design of encapsulation method for chlorogenic acid and caffeine in coffee waste by-product.

Coffee silver skin (CSS) is a thin covering over green coffee seeds inside coffee cherry. It is a good source of bioactive compounds like chlorogenic acid and caffeine. It is produced as a by-product of the roasting process. The goal of this study is to apply spray drying method to encapsulate 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid) and caffeine extracted from CSS. The main-plots for optimisation were feed solid concentration (2.5, 5, 10°Bx), and the sub-plots of the whole-plot were carrier material type (maltodextrin, modified starch, arabic gum) and inlet air temperature (130, 160, 190°C). Responses included were drying yield, chlorogenic acid concentration, caffeine content, Carr index, and solubility values. Suitable conditions were spray drying inlet temperature of 190°C, extract concentration of 10°Bx, and wall material composition [modified starch/arabic gum (MS:AG)] 10.5:9.5. As the feeding CSS extract concentration increased, the amount of chlorogenic acid and caffeine in the final powder increased, while the powder's flow characteristics improved. The concentration stage might be used to produce free-flowing powdered particles with good bioactive retention for use in the food processing industry.

Preparation of deer oil powder and its effect on acute gastric mucosal injury in rats.

In this paper, deer oil was used as a raw material to prepare deer oil powder by microencapsulation technology to study the potential protective activity of deer oil powder on ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury in rats. The results show that the best process for preparing deer oil powder is: the solids account for 25% of the system content, the wall material Whey Milk Protein Isolate-Maltodextrin ratio is 1:5, the Sodium Stearyl Lactate-Glycerides of Monostearate and Distearate compound emulsifier content is 0.8%, the ratio is 1:1, and the deer oil accounts for 30% of the solid content, and the spray drying inlet temperature is 180°C. Deer oil powder can reduce total stomach injury, gastric mucosal congestion area, and injury score index. Without affecting the blood lipid level, it can reduce the content of Myeloperoxidase, enhance the activity of Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase, and has good antioxidant activity. Enhance the expression of defense factors Estradiol, Epidermal Growth Factor, and Somatostatin. At the same time, it reduces the levels of Interleukin-1β and Interleukin-6 pro-inflammatory cytokines in gastric tissue and enhances the expression of anti-inflammatory factors Interleukin-4 and Interleukin-10. These results indicate that the gastric protection mechanism of deer oil powder may be related to the enhancement of mucosal defense factors, inhibition of inflammation, and oxidative stress. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study screened the optimal formula for preparing microencapsulated deer oil powder and proved for the first time that deer oil powder has a strong gastroprotective effect on ethanol-induced acute gastric injury in rats. The gastric protective mechanism of deer oil powder is mainly to reduce oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokine accumulation and to increase the content of defense factors. Therefore, deer oil powder can be used as a new source of gastric treatment drugs.

The impact of spray drying conditions on the physicochemical and emulsification properties of pea protein isolate

Pea protein isolate (PPI) is a promising candidate for plant-based emulsification, but there is currently a gap in functionality between commercially and laboratory produced PPI. To help address this gap, this research investigated the impact of variation in spray drying conditions on the physicochemical and emulsification properties of PPI. When the spray drying inlet temperature increased, the surface hydrophobicity, protein particle size, and emulsion droplet size also increased. Compared with the inlet temperature, the spray drying pH (5.0, 7.0, or 9.0) had a larger effect, and pH 9.0 produced the best solubility and emulsifying properties. The use of propylene glycol to inhibit hydrophobic interactions during drying partially prevented protein aggregation and therefore improved the stability of resultant emulsions. When PPI was heated above the denaturation temperature prior to spray drying, the solubility and emulsification properties significantly decreased. These results suggest that spray drying pH, handling temperature, and hydrophobic interactions play a major role in controlling the functionality of PPI. This information can be used to design better production methods and protection methods for the isolation of PPI, to better maintain its functional properties during commercial production.

The Application of Spray-Dried and Reconstituted Flaxseed Oil Cake Extract as Encapsulating Material and Carrier for Probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG.

Agro-industrial by-products are promising source of biopolymers, including proteins and polysaccharides. This study was designed to evaluate the flaxseed oil cake extract (FOCE) as natural encapsulating material and carrier for probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnous GG (LGG). The powders were obtained using three spray drying inlet temperatures (110 °C, 140 °C, 170 °C), and reconstituted. The influence of temperature on water activity, morphology, chemical composition, flowability and cohesiveness of the powders was estimated. For all variants, the survival of bacteria during spray drying, and simulated passage through the gastrointestinal tract was evaluated. The preservation of LGG probiotic features such as cholesterol reduction, hydrophobicity and adhesion to mucin were examined. Results revealed that all physicochemical and functional characteristics of the powders were affected by the inlet temperature. This study demonstrated that FOCE is an appropriate matrix for spray drying (due to flaxseed proteins and polysaccharides) providing high survivability of bacteria (89.41–96.32%), that passed meaningfully through the simulated gastrointestinal tract (4.39–5.97 log reduction), largely maintaining their probiotic properties, being a promising environmentally-friendly carrier for probiotic LGG.

Effects of Spray-Drying Inlet Temperature on the Production of High-Quality Native Rice Starch

Rice starch is a common functional ingredient used in various food applications. The drying regime to obtain dry starch powder is an important processing step, which affects the functional properties of the starch. The application of extreme thermal treatment during the conventional drying process tends to elicit irreversible changes to the rice starch, resulting in the loss of desired functionalities. In a previous study, we reported the development of a novel low temperature spray-drying based process which efficiently dries waxy rice starch, while preserving its physicochemical properties and functionalities. This study, a follow-up to the previous report, evaluated the effect of different spray-drying inlet temperatures on the production yield, physicochemical properties, and functionalities of waxy rice starch. Increasing the inlet temperature from 40 °C to 100 °C resulted in an increase in the process yield from 74.83% to 88.66%, respectively. All spray dried waxy rice starches possessed a low moisture content of less than 15%, and a consistent particle size (median ~6.00 μm). Regardless of the inlet temperatures, the physicochemical functionalities, including the pasting characteristics and flowability, were similar to that of the native waxy rice starch. The molecular and A-type crystalline structure of the waxy rice starches were also conserved. An inlet temperature of 60 °C represented the optimum temperature for the spray-drying process, with a good yield (84.55 ± 1.77%) and a low moisture content (10.74 ± 1.08%), while retaining its native physicochemical functionalities and maximizing energy efficacy.

Fabrication, characterization and in vitro digestion of food-grade β-carotene high loaded microcapsules: A wet-milling and spray drying coupling approach

β-Carotene high loaded microcapsules were fabricated via coupling the wet-milling and spray drying without employing any organic solvent or solubilizing oil. The impact of process parameters, including milling time and spray-drying inlet temperature, on the physicochemical stability, redispersibility, micromorphology and in vitro digestion of β-carotene microcapsules was investigated. The optimized microcapsules exhibited a small average diameter after rehydration (229.4 nm) with ultrahigh encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity (99.18 % and 19.17 %, respectively). The crystalline β-carotene was not completely transformed into amorphous state with a final crystallinity of 13.79 %. The morphology of microcapsules was dependent on the milling time and spray-drying inlet temperature, and the best integrity and uniformity of microcapsules were achieved after milling for 150 min and spray-dried at 105 °C. Furthermore, the in vitro release rate of β-carotene during the simulated gastrointestinal digestion was increased from 12.08 % to 33.72 % by extending the milling time and decreasing the inlet temperature of spray drying.

Influence of spray-drying conditions on the physicochemical properties of red-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) powder made from peel and flesh

Pitaya production has been increasing, that offers abundant material for food processing. New product development would greatly add value for this produce. The present study focused on the effects of spray-drying conditions such as coating material concentration and spray-drying temperature on the physicochemical characteristics of red-fleshed dragon fruit powder made from peel and flesh. The sample quality was influenced by two experimental factors, which were the maltodextrin concentration and the spray-drying inlet temperature. The samples spray-dried at 140oC to 150oC with 15% maltodextrin (w/w) gave the powder with the highest betacyanin, polyphenol, and vitamin C retention results (97.62 - 98.86%, 90.66 - 91.63%, and 63.40 - 63.68%, respectively). The moisture content, water activity and solubility of the sample was 3.88% to 4.27%, 0.26 to 0.28 and 99%, respectively. Red-fleshed dragon fruit powder made from flesh and peel has numerous potentials in the beverage industry

Improving the stability of oily turmeric extract by microencapsulation using spray drying technique

Herein we report the microencapsulation of curcumin-rich oily turmeric extract using various combinations of whey protein isolates (WPI), gum Arabic (GA) and maltodextrin (MD) wall materials via spray drying technique. Prepared microcapsules were qualitatively analyzed by varying core- to wall material ratio (1:5 and 1:10, weight/weight), inlet air temperature of spray drying (180 and 190 °C) and coating material ratio (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3, w/w). The physicochemical properties and stability of the microcapsules were investigated under both light and dark at different temperatures (4, 25 and 50 °C) and pH (3.5, 4.6 and 7.0). Microcapsules produced with 1:5 core- to wall material ratio, 1:1 MD:WPI at 190 °C spray drying inlet temperature showed the least moisture content (1.79%), water activity (0.21 aw) and wettability time (57.48 s) and the highest solubility (96.40%), color intensity (292.62 h°) and microencapsulation efficiency (90.72%) . The sample that gives the best result showed higher stability (21 days) at 4 °C and pH 7.0 under dark conditions.

Effect of High Inlet Temperature of Spray Dryer on Viability of Microencapsulated Trichoderma asperellum Conidia

In recent years, the use of spray drying for microencapsulating beneficial microbes has gained the interest of researchers, mainly due to dried powder formulation could prevent contamination and prolong self-life of the microbes. The major constraint of spray drying is conidia could lose viability during the drying process due to heat. In this present study, the effect of spray drying inlet temperature on viability of microencapsulated Trichoderma asperellum conidia was assessed. A blend biopolymer of gum Arabic and maltodextrin in ratio of 1:1 was used to microencapsulate the conidia at 150, 160 and 170°C inlet temperatures of spray drying process. Assessment of conidia viability was performed based on conidia percent survival of spray dried (PSsd) and survival increase (SI) unit values. Viability of the microencapsulated conidia was also evaluated their shelf life stored at two different temperatures which were at 28 ±2°C and 4±2°C for 40 weeks. The finding showed that viability of microencapsulated conidia was optimum obtained at inlet temperature of 170°C with 68.2% of PSsd and SI and 17.7 units of SI compared to 15.9% and 1.5 unit respectively obtained for 160°C and 0.2% and 0.7 unit for 150°C. The highest inlet temperature has showed the highest viability compared to lower temperatures. Conidia stored at low temperature of 4 ±2°C has survived longer up to 40 weeks that were confirmed via the viability test. High inlet temperature of 170°C was desirable to enhance survivability and viability of the conidia to be used as biocontrol agent up to 40 weeks at low temperature storage. These microencapsulated conidia could be further tested on their capability to inhibit the pathogen of pineapple disease.

Production of Spray-dried “Terung Asam” (Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal) Powder

Easily perishable and highly seasonal “Terung Asam” (Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal) fruit, a geographical indication plant of Sarawak, was converted into powder for shelf life extension. Spray drying was employed with a range of inlet temperature (140 - 180 °C) and the slurry was cooperated with food graded maltodextrin (5 - 25 % w/w) as food processing aid. The spray-dried “Terung Asam” powders were analysed for process yield, moisture content (Mc), water activity (Aw), hygroscopicity (Hg), water solubility index (WSI), bulk density and colour. The reconstituted powders were assessed by determining total soluble solid (TSS), pH, viscosity and colour. The results indicated that the increase in inlet temperature had resulted in reduction in Mc, Aw, and Hg. In addition, higher concentration of maltodextrin led to reduction in Mc and Hg. At the spray drying inlet temperature of 160 °C and feed added with 25 % w/w maltodextrin, “Terung Asam” powder with the following optimal physicochemical properties was produced: Mc, 2.95±0.42 %; Aw, 0.11±0.02; Hg, 17.76±0.28 %; WSI, 98.89±1.37 %; and wettability, 621.60±119.03 s. The optimized reconstituted powder had lower L*, a* and b* values than the fresh juice, indicating it is lighter in colour, less reddish and less yellowish. Overall, the production of “Terung Asam” using spray drying is feasible with the addition of food processing aid.

Effect of Spray Drying on Amorphization of Indomethacin Nicotinamide Cocrystals; Optimization, Characterization, and Stability Study.

Cocrystals have gained a lot of consideration regarding its superior role in enhancement of solubility and dissolution of the included API. Cocrystals could be converted to coamorphous systems via different techniques like milling and quench cooling; however, the use of spray-drying technique has not been investigated before. So, the aim of this study was to explore the effect of spray drying on the amorphization of indomethacin/nicotinamide, INDNIC, as model cocrystals. Spray-drying operating parameters were optimized using the Taguchi design of experiment for maximum powder yield and low moisture content. The obtained INDNIC spray-dried cocrystals were characterized for their degree of crystallinity, morphology, moisture content, and dissolution performance. In addition, stability study was performed at different temperature and humidity conditions. Experimental design results delineate that spray-drying inlet temperature and cocrystal concentrations as the most influential factors for maximum powder yield and low moisture content. Powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry studies revealed the conversion of INDNIC cocrystals to a partial coamorphous or coamorphous structure without dissociation of INDNIC molecular structure. INDNIC coamorphous powders showed a significantly higher release of IND compared with cocrystals and remain physically stable for 2months when stored in the refrigerator.

Production of spray-dried enzyme-liquefied papaya (Carica papaya L.) powder

Abstract Water removal during drying process consumes energy and lead to high production cost. Hence, enzymatic mash treatment was proposed to reduce the usage of water to produce feed concentration that is suitable for drying. In this study, papaya powder was prepared from papaya puree treated with 1.0% v/w of Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, a pectinase enzyme, with incubation under 50 °C up to 2 hours. The liquefied papaya puree was spray-dried at selected maltodextrin concentrations (10% to 50% w/w of papaya puree) and inlet temperatures (140 °C to 180 °C). The physico-chemical properties of papaya puree, spray-dried powder, and reconstituted powder were assessed. Results showed that an increase in maltodextrin concentration led to lower process yield, lower moisture content and hygroscopicity, and better solubility. The powder produced was brighter in colour (L*) and less yellowish (b*). The papaya puree added with 20% maltodextrin achieved the highest process yield (74.91% ± 9.15%) and better solubility (69.60 ± 0.48 s/g) with optimal moisture content (5.21% ± 0.15% dry basis) and hygroscopicity (24.79% ± 0.58%) which was selected as optimal concentration. Meanwhile, increasing spray drying inlet temperatures led to a reduction in moisture content (26%) but did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) water activity, hygroscopicity, bulk density and colour of spray-dried papaya powders. The inlet temperature of 150 °C achieved the highest solubility (48.17 ± 4.51 s/g) with moderate process yield (74.01% ± 7.69%) and moisture content (5.91% ± 0.70% dry basis) which was considered as optimal drying temperature. The reconstituted powder showed no significant effect in viscosity, pH, and colour regardless of the different maltodextrin concentrations and inlet temperatures used. The optimized spray powder showed no significant difference with initial spray drying feed in total soluble solids, pH, and b* value.

Microencapsulation of Carotenoids from Red Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon L.) Peels Extract

Red melinjo (Gnetum gnemon L.) peels have high carotenoid content and have the potential to be a natural food colorant. But carotenoids have low resistance to light, heat and pH. Microencapsulation is one of the process that can be done to protect and increase the solubility of carotenoids. This research was aimed to protect and increase the solubility of carotenoid compounds from red melinjo peels extract by microencapsulation process. This research consist of two stage, preliminary and main stage. In preliminary stage, red melinjo peels were extracted using ethyl acetate. In the main stage, the extract was encapsulated using spray dryer. The microcapsules were analyzed for moisture content, powder recovery, total carotenoid and phenolic content, encapsulation efficiency, color measurement, solubility, and particle size. The extract has 17693.87 μg/g total carotenoid content and 23.21 mg GAE/g total phenolic content. From the result of this research, there are effects of spray drying inlet temperature and coating material ratio towards characteristics of microcapsules. The best microcapsules were obtained using 150°C spray dryer inlet temperature and 100% arabic gum as coating material with moisture content 5.08%, powder recovery 72.45%, total carotenoid content 420.40 μg/g, encapsulation efficiency 91.23%,°hue microcapsules powder 30.95°, total phenolic content 1.12 mg GAE/g, solubility 89.35%, and microcapsules particle diameter 2.85 μm.

Application of gum Arabic and maltodextrin for encapsulation of eggplant peel extract as a natural antioxidant and color source

Our aim was to produce an encapsulated powder loaded with eggplant peel extract as a natural source of color and antioxidants through gum Arabic and maltodextrin. The effect of spray drying inlet temperature (140–170°C) and various carriers (maltodextrin, gum Arabic, and their combination) on powder production yield, physical properties, flowability, color, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), microstructure and particle size were investigated. Our results revealed that physicochemical properties of powders were influenced by the carrier type and inlet temperature. Obtained powders by maltodextrin at 170°C showed the highest TPC (5.2mg/g), DPPH (73.4%), ABTS (90.5%), TEAC (2. 5mM), hydroxyl radicals scavenging activity (79.1%) and reducing power (1.2 Abs700) among all samples. FTIR spectroscopy indicated that the extract was encapsulated by the carriers. Microstructure evaluation of powders showed some hollow particles with matrix-type structures. Sensory evaluation indicated that addition of encapsulated eggplant extract into the formulation of gummy candy improved its color and overall acceptability.

Recyclable Fully Biobased Chitosan Adsorbents Spray-Dried in One Pot to Microscopic Size and Enhanced Adsorption Capacity.

A facile one-pot spray-drying process was developed for fabrication and in situ crosslinking of chitosan microspheres to improve the adsorption capacity by microscopic design. A fully biobased nature was achieved by utilizing genipin (GP) as a crosslinking agent and chitosan-derived nanographene oxide (nGO) as a property tuner. The produced chitosan microspheres were further proven as powerful adsorbents for common wastewater contaminants such as anionic dyes and pharmaceutical contaminants, here modeled by methyl orange (MO) and diclofenac sodium (DCF). By regulating the amount of GP and nGO, as well as by controlling the process parameters including the spray-drying inlet temperature and postheat treatment, the surface morphology, size, zeta potential, and adsorption efficiency of the microspheres could be tuned accordingly. The adsorption efficiency for MO and DCF reached 98.9 and 100%, respectively. The microspheres retained high DCF adsorption efficiency after six adsorption and desorption cycles, and the recyclability was improved by the incorporated nGO. The fabricated microspheres, thus, have great potential as reusable and eco-friendly adsorbents.