Search Results (43)

This study aimed to develop a functional powder using whey and milk matrices, leveraging the protective capacity of chia–alginate hydrogels and the advantages of electrohydrodynamic spraying (EHDA), a non-thermal technique suitable for encapsulating probiotic cells under stress conditions commonly encountered in food processing. A hydrogel matrix composed of chia seed mucilage and sodium alginate was used to form a biopolymeric network that protected probiotic cells during processing. The encapsulation efficiency reached 99.0 ± 0.01%, and bacterial viability remained above 9.9 log₁₀ CFU/mL after lyophilization, demonstrating the excellent protective capacity of the hydrogel matrix. Microstructural analysis using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed well-retained cell morphology and homogeneous distribution within the hydrogel matrix while, in contrast, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed spherical, porous microcapsules with distinct surface characteristics influenced by the encapsulation method. Encapsulates were incorporated into beverages flavored with red fruits and pear and subsequently freeze-dried. The resulting powders were analyzed for moisture, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, fiber, and color determinations. The results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and response surface methodology, highlighting the impact of ingredient ratios on nutritional composition. Raman spectroscopy identified molecular features associated with casein, lactose, pectins, anthocyanins, and other functional compounds, confirming the contribution of both matrix and encapsulants maintaining the structural characteristics of the product. The presence of antioxidant bands supported the functional potential of the powder formulations. Chia–alginate hydrogels effectively encapsulated L. reuteri, maintaining cell viability and enabling their incorporation into freeze-dried beverage powders. This approach offers a promising strategy for the development of next-generation functional food gels with enhanced probiotic stability, nutritional properties, and potential application in health-promoting dairy systems. Full article

The demand of consumers for a healthier and functional diet necessitates amongst others, extending the shelf life of the natural probiotic kefir, reducing simultaneously packaging, transportation, and storage costs. Among the different drying methods, spray drying is widely used and industrially favorable to produce powdered products. The aim of the present work was to study the effect of the final fermentation pH and the pre-drying storage temperature (4 °C for 7 days) on the physicochemical properties, moisture content, pH, color, adsorption isotherms, and the microbiological characteristics of spray dried kefir. Kefir grains were used for the fermentation and the production of the samples. Viabilities of lactococci, lactobacilli, and yeasts were determined during a storage period of 45 days. Both final fermentation pH and low-temperature storage significantly affected the properties of the kefir powders and their respective reconstituted samples. According to the findings of the study, the desirable microbial populations of the reconstituted kefir powders are possible to accomplish by using an increased final fermentation pH at 5.2 and/or by applying low-temperature storage of the fermented milk, together with the kefir grains, at 4 °C for 7 days prior to drying. The yeast population was affected the least by the studied factors, and the use of kefir grains as starter culture favored the viability of lactococci and lactobacilli after spray drying and during storage up to 45 days. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cryptosporidium parvum is a zoonotic enteroparasite causing severe diarrhea in newborn calves, leading to significant economic losses in dairy and beef farming. This study aimed to evaluate whether C. parvum p23-specific IgY antibodies could control neonatal calf diarrhea caused by C. parvum. Methods: A recombinant immunogen comprising the p23 protein fused to the antigen-presenting cell homing (APCH) molecule was expressed using the baculovirus system. Hens were immunized with the APCH-p23 immunogen, and the resulting IgY was spray-dried for treatment use. Eight newborn calves were included in the study and received commercial colostrum within the first 12 h of life. Four calves were treated with 20 g of powdered egg containing IgY (p23-specific IgY titer of 256 in milk) twice daily for 7 days. The remaining four calves received regular non-supplemented milk. All calves were orally infected with 6 million oocysts and monitored for 21 days. Results: Calves treated with p23-specific IgY exhibited significantly reduced diarrhea duration (3.5 vs. 7.5 days; p = 0.0397) and oocyst shedding duration (6.50 vs. 12 days; p = 0.0089). In addition, the total number of excreted oocysts, as measured by the change of the area under the curve (AUC), was significantly reduced in the treated group (14.25 vs. 33.45; p = 0.0117). Although the onset of diarrhea was delayed (3.5 to 6.5 days post-infection; p = 0.1840), and diarrhea severity was reduced (24.25 to 17 AUC; p = 0.1236), both parameters were not statistically significant. Conclusions: P23-specific IgY antibodies effectively reduced the C. parvum-induced duration of diarrhea in experimentally infected calves. These findings highlight the potential of this passive treatment as a promising strategy for controlling neonatal calf diarrhea. Full article

The present study examines the effect of low-temperature thermal treatment before drying, through storage at −10 °C and 4 °C for 72 h, respectively, on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of spray-dried kefir powder. Furthermore, with the intention of improving the rheological behavior of the reconstituted product, texture modifiers were employed including milk proteins (milk proteins, sodium caseinates, and whey protein concentrates) and carrageenan. According to the results, the low-temperature thermal treatment of kefir, prior to drying, resulted to an increased moisture content and yellowness of the kefir powder samples, with a simultaneous drop to the whiteness index and an increase of the particle size in both the powder and the reconstituted samples. The sample with prior treatment at 4 °C for 72 h, exhibited decreased pH values and increased acidity for both kefir and reconstituted product, while it also improved post drying population survival of lactobacilli and yeasts. The reconstituted sample with prior treatment at −10 °C for 72 h, exhibited evident pseudoplastic behavior, which, at low shear rates, yielded viscosity values very close to those of the fresh control kefir. Addition of sodium caseinates, in the absence and/or simultaneous presence of carrageenan, resulted to the highest viscosity increase of the reconstituted products. Milk proteins with the combined presence of carrageenan exhibited similar apparent viscosity values to the control. Full article

The manufacturing processes for infant formula disrupt the structure of phospholipid-coated milk fat globules, thereby impacting the physical stability of the system. In this study, either soybean phospholipids (SPs) or egg yolk phospholipids (EYPs) were incorporated into the milk system to reduce this damage, and their effects on the stability and fat globule structure of processed milk were examined. The findings revealed that the addition of phospholipids improved the physical stability and fat globule structure of different processed milk. In pasteurized milk, the stability constant of samples with phospholipids decreased from 0.42 to 0.37 compared to phospholipid-free milk, but no significant difference was found between the EYP and SP groups. In homogenized milk, adding EYPs resulted in a smaller particle size (870.35 nm versus 953.39 nm) and stability constant (0.28 versus 0.30) than the addition of SP. Moreover, homogenized milk added with EYPs exhibited a denser phospholipid interface film which led to a more intact fat globule structure. Consequently, the milk powder particles in the spray-dried milk supplemented with EYPs showed a more uniform distribution and smoother surface. These findings suggested that EYPs were superior to SPs in restructuring fat globules and enhancing newly formed fat globule stability during milk powder processing. This offers valuable insights for improving the physical and structural properties of dairy products, such as infant formula. Full article

Both hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and temperature elevation are important pretreatments for improving the performance of liquid food processing by reducing viscosity. In this study, we assessed the impact of HC and elevated temperature on the functionality of milk protein concentrate powder with 80% protein (MPC80) prepared from nanofiltration (NF) of ultrafiltration (UF) retentate. Skim milk was concentrated using UF, and the retentate was further subjected to HC and concentrated using NF, then spray dried to obtain MPC80 powder. The functionality of these powders processed using NF at 22 °C, NF at 50 °C, HC and NF at 22 °C, and HC and NF at 50 °C were evaluated. Rennet coagulation time of reconstituted MPC80 from different NF treatments was like skim milk when treated with 0.1% CaCl₂. High-temperature NF reduced the water solubility of MPC80 powder (70.03 to 79.20%) at room temperature, but it was similar when measured at 50 °C (86.05 to 92.91%). The HC improved foaming (92.22 to 112.89%) but did not impact the emulsifying capacity (59.58 to 61.38%) and heat stability (18.04 to 20.22 min). Results showed that the HC and high-temperature NF utilized to increase the production efficiency of MPC80 also maintained the functionality of the powders after spray drying. Full article

The aim of this study was to identify the most effective protectants for enhancing the viability of specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CICC 6097, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CICC 21839, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM) by assessing their enzymatic activity when exposed to spray drying (inlet/outlet temperature: 135 °C/90 °C). Firstly, it was found that the live cell counts of the selected LAB cells from the 10% (w/v) recovered skim milk (RSM) group remained above 10⁷ CFU/g after spray drying. Among all the three groups (1% w/v RSM group, 10% w/v RSM group, and control group), the two enzymes pyruvate kinase (PK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were more sensitive to spray drying than hexokinase (HK) and β-galactosidase (β-GAL). Next, transcriptome data of Lb. acidophilus NCFM showed that 10% (w/v) RSM improved the down-regulated expressions of genes encoding PK (pyk) and LDH (ldh) after spray drying compared to 1% (w/v) RSM. Finally, four composite protectants were created, each consisting of 10% (w/v) RSM plus a different additive—sodium glutamate (CP-A group), sucrose (CP-B group), trehalose (CP-C group), or a combination of sodium glutamate, sucrose, and trehalose (CP-D group)—to encapsulate Lb. acidophilus NCFM. It was observed that the viable counts of strain NCFM (8.56 log CFU/g) and enzymatic activity of PK and LDH in the CP-D group were best preserved compared to the other three groups. Therefore, our study suggested that measuring the LDH and PK activity could be used as a promising tool to screen the effective spray-dried protective agent for LAB cells. Full article

This study aims to provide the dairy industry with a direct control model focused on milk coagulation by using multifiber probes to determine parameters in the curding process, such as cutting time, at a lower cost. The main objective of the research is to confirm that a multifiber NIR light scattering probe can be used to predict the elastic modulus of curd during milk coagulation in cheese production. Two randomized complete block designs were used with a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of three protein levels (3%, 3.5% and 4%) and three wavelengths (870 nm, 880 nm and 890 nm). Using a multifiber probe at a wavelength of 880 nm allowed obtaining a better optical response of the sensor during enzymatic milk coagulation than the 870 nm. It showed greater sensitivity to variations in the protein content of the milk and lower variation in the response. The multifiber probe at a wavelength of 880 nm generated a NIR light backscatter profile like those obtained with other systems. The results showed that the prediction model parameters had a variation as a function of the protein content, which opens the possibility of improving the prediction model’s performance substantially. Furthermore, the initial voltage obtained with the probe responded linearly to the different protein levels in milk. This fact would make it possible, at least theoretically, to estimate protein concentration with the same inline probe for G’ determination, facilitating the incorporation of a corrective protein factor in the prediction models using a single instrument. Full article

Appropriate protein sources are vital for the growth, development and health of neonates. Twenty–four 2–day–old piglets were randomly divided into three groups and fed isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets. The experimental diets included a milk replacer with 17.70% whey protein concentrate (WPC group), a milk replacer with 6% spray–dried porcine plasma isonitrogenously substituting WPC (SDPP group), and a milk replacer with 5.13% soy protein isolate isonitrogenously substituting WPC (SPI group). Neonatal piglets were fed milk replacer from postnatal day 2 (PND 2) to day 20 (PND 20). The growth performance, intestinal morphology, activities of digestive enzymes, plasma biochemical parameters, immunity–related genes, short–chain fatty acids (SCFA) and intestinal microbiota in the colonic chyme were determined. The results showed that SDPP–fed piglets had higher final BW (p = 0.05), ADG (p = 0.05) and F/G (p = 0.07) compared with WPC– and SPI–fed piglets, and SDPP–fed piglets had a lower diarrhea index (p < 0.01) from PND 2 to PND 8. SDPP–fed piglets had an increased ileal villus height (p = 0.04) and ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VCR) (p = 0.02), and increased activities of sucrase (p < 0.01), lactase (p = 0.02) and trypsin (p = 0.08) in the jejunum, compared with WPC– and SPI–fed piglets. Furthermore, SPI–fed piglets had an increased mRNA expression of IL-6 (p < 0.01) and concentration of plasma urea (p = 0.08). The results from LEfSe analysis showed that SDPP–fed piglets had a higher abundance of beneficial Butyricicoccus compared with WPC– and SPI–fed piglets, in which higher abundances of pathogenic bacteria such as Marinifilaceae, Fusobacterium and Enterococcus were observed. Moreover, SDPP–fed piglets had an increased concentration of butyric acid (p = 0.08) in the colonic chyme compared with WPC– and SPI–fed piglets. These results suggest that neonatal piglets fed milk replacer with SDPP partially substituting WPC had improved growth performance and intestinal morphology and function, associated with higher digestive enzyme activity and fewer pathogenic bacteria. Full article

This study investigates the use of encapsulating agents for establishing a synbiotic relationship with Bacillus coagulans (TISTR 1447). Various ratios of wall materials, such as skim milk powder, maltodextrin, and cellulose acetate phthalate (represented as SMC1, SMC3, SMC5, and SMC7), were examined. In all formulations, 5% inulin was included as a prebiotic. The research assessed their impact on cell viability and bioactive properties during both the spray-drying process and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The results demonstrate that these encapsulating agents efficiently protect B. coagulans spores during the spray-drying process, resulting in spore viability exceeding 6 log CFU/g. Notably, SMC5 and SMC7 displayed the highest spore viability values. Moreover, SMC5 showcased the most notable antioxidant activity, encompassing DPPH, hydroxy radical, and superoxide radical scavenging, as well as significant antidiabetic effects via the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Furthermore, during the simulated gastrointestinal digestion, both SMC5 and SMC7 exhibited a slight reduction in spore viability over the 6 h simulation. Consequently, SMC5 was identified as the optimal condition for synbiotic production, offering protection to B. coagulans spores during microencapsulation and gastrointestinal digestion while maintaining bioactive properties post-encapsulation. Synbiotic microcapsules containing SMC5 showcased a remarkable positive impact, suggesting its potential as an advanced food delivery system and a functional ingredient for various food products. Full article

Polyphenols called procyanidins can be extracted from agro-industrial waste like litchi peel and coffee pulp. However, their efficacy is limited due to instability, which hinders both the bioavailability and preservation of their activity. This study aims to establish the ideal encapsulation conditions required to preserve the procyanidin properties found in extracts taken from litchi peel and coffee pulp. To attain the maximum procyanidin encapsulation efficacy (EE), the Taguchi method was utilized to streamline the spray-drying conditions for different wall materials—maltodextrin (MD), whey protein (WP), citrus pectin (CP), and skim milk (SM). The optimized conditions consisted of feed flow (3, 4.5, and 6 mL/min), temperature (125, 150, and 175 °C), and airflow (30, 35, and 40 m³/h). The microcapsules were characterized using ABTS, DPPH, lipoperoxidation, and scanning electron microscopy. Objective evaluations revealed that MD was the most effective encapsulation material for the litchi extract, whereas WP was the optimal option for the coffee extract. Of all the factors considered in the spray-drying process, feed flow had the strongest impact. The spray-drying process for the litchi peel extracts achieved high procyanidin encapsulation efficiencies at a feed flow rate of 4.5 mL/min, a temperature of 150 °C, and an airflow rate of 35 m³/h. Meanwhile, the coffee extract spray drying achieved similar results at a feed flow rate of 4.5 mL/min, a temperature of 175 °C, and an airflow rate of 40 m³/h. Encapsulation efficiencies of 98.1% and 93.6% were observed for the litchi and coffee extracts, respectively, under the mentioned optimal conditions. The microencapsulation process was successful in preserving the antioxidant properties of procyanidins. The microcapsules’ size ranged from 2.6 to 3.2 micrometers. The results imply that the phenolic compounds present in the extracts function as effective antioxidant agents. Full article

Reverse osmosis (RO) is known for the economic dewatering of dairy streams without any change in phase. At the household level, surplus milk is fermented and churned to obtain butter, which is subsequently heated to obtain clarified milk fat (ghee). The production of 1 kg ghee generates 15–20 kg sour buttermilk (SBM) as a by-product that is mostly drained. This causes a loss of milk solids and environmental pollution. The processing, preservation and valorization of SBM are quite challenging because of its low total solids (TS) and pH, poor heat stability and limited shelf life. This investigation aimed to transform SBM into a novel dried dairy ingredient. SBM was thermized, filtered, defatted and concentrated at 35 ± 1 °C, employing RO up to 3.62× (12.86%). The RO concentrate was subsequently converted into sour buttermilk powder (SBMP) by employing spray drying. SBMP was further characterized for its physicochemical, reconstitution and functional properties; rheological and morphological characteristics; and amino acid and fatty acid profiling, along with FTIR and XRD spectra. SBMP was “instant soluble-3 s” and exhibited excellent emulsion stability (80.70%), water binding capacity (4.34 g/g of protein), flowability (28.36°) and antioxidant properties. In nutshell, a process was developed for the valorization of sour buttermilk to a novel dairy ingredient by employing reverse osmosis and a spray-drying process. Full article

This study aimed to recover the phenols from olive oil mill wastewater, a major pollutant of the oil industry, by using spray-drying technology to produce a new feed with a nutraceutical value for animal feed supplementation and to evaluate its effect on the productivity and nutritional quality of ewe milk. Forty-five Sarda ewes in late lactation (150 ± 2 d) and with homogeneous live weight (52 ± 1.5 kg) were randomly allotted into three groups and fed with three dietary treatments containing increasing levels of polyphenols: 0% (C), 0.1% (T0.1), and 0.2% (T0.2) of dry matter. No effect of the dietary treatments was found on the milk yield and composition. Interestingly, milk urea content (p < 0.0001) and somatic cell counts (p < 0.001) decreased as the level of polyphenols inclusion in the diet increased. The inclusion of phenols (0.2% of dry matter) in the diet of sheep was effective in increasing the vaccenic (C18:1 trans-11) and rumenic acid (C18: cis-9 trans-11) levels, which are beneficial for human health. Finally, the recovery of polyphenols via spray-drying technology and their incorporation into a new fortified feed can be a valid strategy for naturally improving the nutritional value of milk while valorizing an oil industry byproduct, reducing environmental impact, and promoting waste reuse that is in line with circular economy principles. Full article

Alcea rosea, known as hollyhock, is an ornamental dicot flower in the Malvaceae family, and it has been used for different purposes, ranging from traditional medicine to food applications, through the use of its leaves, roots, and seeds. The hollyhock flowers possess several properties, including a diuretic, cooling, demulcent, emollient, febrifuge, and astringent effects. Hollyhock flowers were commonly included in a traditional medicine formulation for hypoglycemic or hypolipidemic treatments. Along with its use in traditional medicine, it has also been considered a valuable ingredient in some traditional food preparations; however, the processing of hollyhock into a new food product has not been studied. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the production of a new product, a milk-based Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) powder, and its powder product characterization via particle size, water activity, density, flowability, etc., in addition to the determination of its chemical composition (with 5.73% ash and 29.12% protein). In this paper, we report the application of spray-dried milk-based hollyhock flower extract to produce a new ready-to-drink product of this medicinal plant for food sustainability. Full article

Bulk nanobubbles (BNBs) have widespread applications in various fields of science due to numerous peculiar characteristics. Despite significant applications, only limited investigations are available on the application of BNBs in food processing. In the present study, a continuous acoustic cavitation technique was used to generate bulk nanobubbles (BNBs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of BNB incorporation on the processability and spray drying of milk protein concentrate (MPC) dispersions. MPC powders were reconstituted to the desired total solids and incorporated with BNBs using acoustic cavitation as per the experimental design. The control MPC (C-MPC) and BNB-incorporated MPC (BNB-MPC) dispersions were analyzed for rheological, functional, and microstructural properties. The viscosity significantly decreased (p < 0.05) at all the amplitudes studied. The microscopic observations of BNB-MPC dispersions showed less aggregated microstructures and greater structural differences compared with C-MPC dispersions, therefore lowering the viscosity. The viscosity of BNB incorporated (90% amplitude) MPC dispersions at 19% total solids at a shear rate of 100 s⁻¹ significantly decreased to 15.43 mPa·s (C-MPC: 201 mPa·s), a net decrease in viscosity by ~90% with the BNB treatment. The control and BNB incorporated MPC dispersions were spray-dried, and the resultant powders were characterized in terms of powder microstructure and rehydration characteristics. Focused beam reflectance measurement of the BNB-MPC powders indicated higher counts of fine particles (<10 μm) during dissolution, signifying that BNB-MPC powders exhibited better rehydration properties than the C-MPC powders. The enhanced powder rehydration with the BNB incorporation was attributed to the powder microstructure. Overall, reducing the viscosity of feed by BNB incorporation can enhance the performance of the evaporator. This study, therefore, recommends the possibility of using BNB treatment for more efficient drying while improving the functional properties of the resultant MPC powders. Full article