Impact of yeast starter formulations on the production of volatile compounds during wine fermentation

The most diffused starter formulation in winemaking is actually represented by active dry yeast (ADY). Spray‐drying has been reported as an appropriate preservation method for yeast and other micro‐organisms. Despite the numerous advantages of this method, the high air temperatures used can negatively affect cell viability and the fermentative performance of dried cells. In the present study, 11 wine S. cerevisiae strains (both indigenous and commercial) were submitted to spray‐drying; different process conditions were tested in order to select the conditions allowing the highest strain survival. The strains exhibited high variability for tolerance to spray‐drying treatment. Selected strains were tested in fermentation at laboratory scale in different formulations (free fresh cells, free dried cells, immobilized fresh cells and immobilized dried cells), in order to assess the influence of starter formulation on fermentative fitness of strains and aromatic quality of wine. The analysis of volatile fraction in the experimental wines produced by selected strains in different formulations allowed identification of > 50 aromatic compounds (alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes and terpenes). The results obtained showed that the starter formulation significantly influenced the content of volatile compounds. In particular, the wines obtained by strains in dried forms (as both free and immobilized cells) contained higher numbers of volatile compounds than wines obtained from fresh cells. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Protection mechanisms of sugars during different stages of preparation process of dried lactic acid starter cultures

Sugars are recognized protectants used in the preparation of dried starter cultures for fermented food industries, particularly as additives for the drying media. They increase viability of the starter cultures during drying and storage. This review intends to summarize and discuss their roles in each step of the preparation process. The main topics cover the role of sugars in the induction of compatible solutes and alteration of fermentation metabolites during growing of cells, the reduction of cryo- and thermal injuries and membrane damage during drying, as well as the formation of sugar glass matrices and the prevention of oxidation during storage. In some topics, proposed protective mechanisms together with corresponding inactivation mechanisms have been discussed. The protective hypotheses as such are preferential exclusion, water replacement, hydration force explanation, and vitrification of sugars.     

Study of the effects of spray‐drying on the functionality of probiotic lactobacilli

Three probiotic lactobacilli strains were spray‐dried in 20% (w/v) skim milk and submitted to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Fresh or spray‐dried cultures were administered to mice for 5 and 10 days, and Immunoglobulin A (IgA)‐producing cells were enumerated in the small intestine by immunohistochemistry. Spray‐drying significantly enhanced the resistance of Lactobacillus paracasei A13 and Lactobacillus casei Nad to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion (0.96 and 1.95 log orders, respectively), compared with fresh cultures. Also, a significant higher number of IgA‐producing cells were induced by spray‐dried cultures compared with fresh cultures. Spray‐drying is a suitable, but strain‐dependent, technological process for the development of probiotic cultures in skim milk with increased functionality.     

Challenges associated with spray drying of lactic acid bacteria: Understanding cell viability loss

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) cultures used in food fermentation are often dried to reduce transportation costs and facilitate handling during use. Dried LAB ferments are generally lyophilized to ensure high cell viability. Spray drying has come to the forefront as a promising technique due to its versatility and lower associated energy costs. Adverse conditions during spray drying, such as mechanical stress, dehydration, heating, and oxygen exposure, can lead to low LAB cell viability. This reduced viability has limited spray drying's industrial applications thus far. This review aims to demonstrate the operations and thermodynamic principles that govern spray drying, then correlate them to the damage suffered by LAB cells during the spray-drying process. The particularities of spray drying that might cause LAB cell death are detailed in this review, and the conclusion may enhance future studies on ways to improve cell viability.     

Pulsed electric field pre-treatment for enhanced bacterial survival after drying: Effect of carrier matrix and strain variability

Previous studies suggest that increased intracellular trehalose concentrations can result in increased robustness of probiotics and starter cultures after processing. We evaluated whether pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment, resulting in increased intracellular trehalose concentrations, can lead to enhanced survival during spray drying and subsequent storage and what the effect of the carrier matrix during drying herein is on survival. The applied PEF pre-treatment resulted in increased survival of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 after spray drying and subsequent storage in reconstituted skim milk (RSM), though not in the other evaluated carrier matrices. The same PEF pre-treatment in lactose instead of trehalose electroporation medium resulted also in an increased survival after spray drying in RSM. Further analysis of intracellular trehalose and lactose concentrations revealed that survival after spray drying cannot only be explained by intracellular trehalose and/or lactose concentrations. Experiments with other bacterial strains indicated that strain variability cannot be neglected when designing a process aimed at enhanced bacterial survival after processing. Overall, PEF pre-treatment is promising for enhancing survival of bacteria after drying and storage, though further understanding of the applicability is required for industrial application.Industrial relevance textProbiotics and starter cultures are very common in food industry. Survival of these cultures during drying processes is essential for their application. A pulsed electric field pre-treatment resulting in increased bacterial survival after spray drying and powder storage may contribute to more energy efficient production processes of dried bacterial cultures.     

Comparative survival and evaluation of functional probiotic properties of spray-dried lactic acid bacteria

The effect of spray drying on the viability and retention of key probiotic properties like acid and bile tolerance and cholesterol assimilation of three probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) ( Lactobacillus plantarum CFR 2191, Lactobacillus salivarius CFR 2158 and Pediococcus acidilactici CFR 2193) has been studied. More than 97% survival was exhibited by the three LAB (1% cell suspension) spray dried with maltodextrin and nonfat skimmed (NFSM) as carriers. LAB cultures spray dried with maltodextrin showed significantly greater ( P ≤  0.05) retention of functional properties than those with NFSM. The results highlight a cost-effective way of producing large quantities of selected probiotic cultures with functional properties for neutraceutical application.     

Manufacture of jameed using a spray drying process: a preliminary study

Jameed powder was manufactured using a controlled fermentation with a yogurt starter followed by spray drying. The composition and physical properties of the spray dried jameed were analysed and compared with local sun dried jameed. It was found that the moisture content of the spray dried jameed was lower than that of the sun dried product. In addition, the dispersibility of the spray dried jameed was higher and the average particle size was smaller; wettability, bulk density and colour were comparable between the two products.     

纳豆菌活菌干燥制剂的研制

纳豆菌具有优良的特性,可谓微生态制刺的理想菌种。将筛选的纳豆菌优良菌种发酵后,经一定处理后进行真空冷冻干燥和喷雾干燥,并筛选出干燥过程中效果较好的几种保护剂及其添加剂量,并通过正交设计实验得出最佳的保护刺复合配方为脱脂奶粉15%、麦芽糊精5%、蔗糖2.5%,显著提高了干燥中纳豆菌的存活率,使冷冻干燥后纳豆菌的存活率达到86%以上,比对照提高了70%以上,喷雾干燥后纳豆菌的存活率达到67%以上,所得成品的形状、干燥程度和复水性都较佳。     

Microwave‐Osmotic/Microwave‐Vacuum Drying of Whole Cranberries: Comparison with Other Methods

A novel drying method for frozen‐thawed whole cranberries was developed by combining microwave osmotic dehydration under continuous flow medium spray (MWODS) conditions with microwave vacuum finish‐drying. A central composite rotatable design was used to vary temperature (33 to 67 °C), osmotic solution concentration (33 to 67 °B), contact time (5 to 55 min), and flow rate (2.1 to 4.1 L/min) in order to the determine the effects of MWODS input parameters on quality of the dried berry. Quality indices monitored included colorimetric and textural data in addition to anthocyanin retention and cellular structure. Overall it was found that the MWODS‐MWV process was able to produce dried cranberries with quality comparable to freeze dried samples in much shorter time. Additionally, cranberries dried via the novel process exhibited much higher quality than those dried via either vacuum or convective air drying in terms of color, anthocyanin content, and cellular structure.     

A comparison of drying operations on the rheological properties of whey protein thickening ingredients

An existing procedure for the alteration of whey proteins into a cold‐set thickening agent was modified by developing a spray‐drying operation to replace the prohibitively expensive freeze‐drying step. The original and the modified derivatization procedures were used with a commercial whey protein concentrate (WPC). The freeze‐dried and spray‐dried derivatized WPC powders, along with polysaccharide thickeners, were reconstituted in water and evaluated by using a range of rheological studies. The effects of temperature, concentration, and shear on viscosity as well as the mechanical spectra were assessed to characterize the ability of the powders to function in food systems. Rheological characterization revealed the modified derivatization procedure yielded an ingredient having the same cold‐set thickening and gelling ability as the original derivatized powder. The modified whey proteins were also able to achieve, at higher usage levels, textural properties similar to several polysaccharide thickeners. Use of a spray‐drying technique created a more economical process for the production of a whey protein ingredient that was suitable for contributing viscosity and texture to a wide range of food systems.     

Pediococcus acidilactici as a potential probiotic to be used in food industry

The objective of this study was to compare the results obtained between a commercial probiotic bacterium and a strain of Pediococcus acidilactici isolated from a food matrix. Besides the characterisation of the isolates, the main focus of this work was to evaluate their ability to survive through simulated gastrointestinal tract passage as well as the effect of the spray drying process to be used as concentrated cultures in the food industry. Both lactic acid bacteria produced any of the virulence determinants investigated; they exhibited no significant antibiotic resistances and <1 log unit reduction in viable counts was obtained after exposure to simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions. Concentrated cultures of P. acidilactici HA‐6111‐2 in 10% (w/v) of reconstituted skim milk were obtained by spray drying and, after 60 days of storage at 4 °C, <1 log unit reduction in viable count was recorded. In conclusion, from these preliminary characterisation tests and its extended viability in the dried form, this P. acidilactici strain should be considered as a potentially useful probiotic.     

The influence of additives and drying methods on quality attributes of fish protein powder made from saithe (Pollachius virens)

BACKGROUND: Fish protein powder (FPP) is used in the food industry for developing formulated food products. This study investigates the feasibility of increasing the value of saithe (Pollachius virens) by producing a functional FPP. Quality attributes of spray and freeze‐dried saithe surimi containing lyoprotectants were studied. A freeze‐dried saithe surimi without lyoprotectants was also prepared as a control sample. RESULTS: The amount of protein, moisture, fat and carbohydrate in the FPPs were 745–928, 39–58, 21–32 and 10–151 g kg^?1. Quality attributes of FPPs were influenced by the two drying methods and lyoprotectants. The highest level of lipid oxidation was found in the control and the second highest in the spray‐dried FPP. The spray‐dried fish protein had the lowest viscosity among all FPPs. Gel‐forming ability of samples with lyoprotectants was higher than that of the control. Water‐binding capacity, emulsion properties and solubility of the freeze‐dried fish protein containing lyoprotectants were significantly higher than spray‐dried and control samples. However, functional properties of spray‐dried FPP were higher than the control sample. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to develop value‐added FPP from saithe surimi using spray‐ and freeze‐drying processes, but freeze‐dried FPP containing lyoprotectant had superior functional properties and stability compared with spray‐dried sample. Both products might be used as functional protein ingredients in various food systems. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optimized Aqueous Extraction of Saponins from Bitter Melon for Production of a Saponin‐Enriched Bitter Melon Powder

Bitter melon, Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae), aqueous extracts are proposed to have health‐promoting properties due to their content of saponins and their antioxidant activity. However, the optimal conditions for the aqueous extraction of saponins from bitter melon and the effects of spray drying have not been established. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize the aqueous extraction of the saponins from bitter melon, using response surface methodology, prepare a powder using spray drying, and compare the powder's physical properties, components, and antioxidant capacity with aqueous and ethanol freeze‐dried bitter melon powders and a commercial powder. The optimal aqueous extraction conditions were determined to be 40 °C for 15 min and the water‐to‐sample ratio was chosen to be 20:1 mL/g. For many of its physical properties, components, and antioxidant capacity, the aqueous spray‐dried powder was comparable to the aqueous and ethanol freeze‐dried bitter melon powders and the commercial powder. The optimal conditions for the aqueous extraction of saponins from bitter melon followed by spray drying gave a high quality powder in terms of saponins and antioxidant activity.     

Influence of spray drying conditions on functionality of dried whole egg

Instead of traditional liquid eggs, more and more dried whole egg products are being used in the manufacture of fine bakery goods, since dried semi‐finished products have some advantages regarding storage, handling and microbiological safety. However, the spray drying process leads to changes in sensitive egg components, eg proteins, and affects the functional properties of whole egg after reconstitution. Knowledge of the influence of drying conditions on the resulting functionality is necessary to enable the production of dried egg with tailor‐made properties for applications in different food products. Some of these relationships were determined using a pilot spray dryer for drying experiments and an appropriate statistical evaluation of the results. It could be demonstrated that higher temperatures during spray drying lead to a considerable decrease in the foaming properties of whole egg powder but increase the capability of emulsion stabilisation. Additionally, a simplified example demonstrates the use of these relationships for the selection of optimal drying conditions of whole egg with respect to its application in a cake with higher fat content. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of conventional and nonconventional drying on the stability of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis INL1

Freeze, spray, vacuum, microwave vacuum‐ and microwave freeze‐drying were applied to Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis INL1. Freeze and microwave freeze‐drying showed the highest survival after drying. When a storage test (25 °C; oxygen) was performed, these cultures were the most sensitive ones at a_w = 0.23, but the addition of lactose improved their stability after 8 weeks. Flow cytometry was useful to assess viability after drying but not during storage. Our results show that dehydration technologies other than freeze‐drying might be suitable alternatives that deserve further investigation for the preservation of sensitive probiotic bacteria. Microwave drying rendered cultures of comparable characteristics to their conventional counterparts, requiring significantly shorter drying times.     

Presence of Electrostatically Adsorbed Polysaccharides Improves Spray Drying of Liposomes

Spray drying of liposomes with conventional wall materials such as maltodextrins often yields nonfunctional powders, that is, liposomes break down during drying and rehydration. Electrostatically coating the surface of liposomes with a charged polymer prior to spray drying may help solve this problem. Anionic lecithin liposomes (approximately 400 nm) were coated with lower (approximately 500 kDa, LMW‐C) or higher (approximately 900 kDa, HMW‐C) molecular weight cationic chitosan using the layer‐by‐layer depositing method. Low (DE20, LMW‐MD) or high molecular weight (DE2, HMW‐MD) maltodextrin was added as wall material to facilitate spray drying. If surfaces of liposomes (1%) were completely covered with chitosan (0.4%), no bridging or depletion flocculation would occur, and mean particle diameters would be approximately 500 nm. If maltodextrins (20%) were added to uncoated liposomes, extensive liposomal breakdown would occur making the system unsuitable for spray drying. No such aggregation or breakdown was observed when maltodextrin was added to chitosan‐coated liposomes. Size changed little or even decreased slightly depending on the molecular weight of maltodextrin added. Scanning electron microscopy images of powders containing chitosan‐coated liposomes revealed that their morphologies depended on the type of maltodextrin added. Powders prepared with LMW‐MD contained mostly spherical particles while HMW‐MD powders contained particles with concavities and dents. Upon redispersion, coated liposomes yielded back dispersions with particle size distributions similar to the original ones, except for LMW‐C coated samples that had been spray dried with HMW‐MD which yielded aggregates (approximately 30 μm). Results show that coating of liposomes with an absorbing polymer allows them to be spray dried with conventional maltodextrin wall materials. Practical Application : Liposomes have attracted considerable attention in the food and agricultural, biomedical industries for the delivery of functional components. However, maintaining their stability in aqueous dispersion represents a challenge for their commercialization. Spray drying may promise a solution to that problem. However, prior to this study spray drying of liposomes often led to the loss of structural integrity. Results of this study suggest that spray drying might be used to produce commercially feasible liposomal powders if proper combinations of adsorbing and nonadsorbing polymers are used in the liquid precursor system.     

Optimisation of pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.) juice spray‐drying as affected by temperature and maltodextrin content

Pomegranate juice powder is easier to handle and has more potential applications than the concentrate. In this study, the response surface, 3‐level factorial design was used to evaluate the influence of spray‐drying conditions on the physicochemical properties of a powdered product obtained by drying pomegranate juice concentrate (PJC). It was spray‐dried with a lab‐scale spray‐dryer using 18 and 7 dextrose equivalent (DE) maltodextrins (MD) as drying‐aid agents. Adding MD significantly reduced the hygroscopicity and stickiness of the pomegranate juice powder, and thus yielded higher recovery. The maximum achieved ratio of PJC/MD was 1/1, and it was obtained with the use of DE7 MD. However, graphical optimisation studies resulted in 125–145 °C and 0.6–0.8 PJC/MD ratio as optimum variables to produce acceptable dried powder. The results indicated that increasing inlet air temperature increases solubility time and loss of anthocyanins and decreases bulk density and moisture content of the powder.     

Spray‐drying encapsulation of citral in sucrose or trehalose matrices: physicochemical and sensory characteristics

The potential of the disaccharide trehalose as carrier for producing spray‐dried citral was examined. Some physical and sensory characteristics of citral encapsulated in matrices containing either trehalose or sucrose and maltodextrin (MD) were analysed. They included water sorption, glass transition temperatures (T_g), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation and citral retention during spray‐drying. The glassy state at room temperature (25 °C) was maintained as far as 33% relative humidities (RH) for the spray‐dried trehalose formulation and 43% RH for trehalose–MD; however, for sucrose–MD and for sucrose formulations, the glassy state was limited to RHs lower than 33% and 22%, respectively. Sensory evaluation and gas chromatographic analysis indicated that citral retention after spray‐drying was similar for matrices containing either trehalose or sucrose. However, trehalose formulations had improved physical stability as compared to sucrose.     

Gelling properties of duck albumen powder as affected by desugarization and drying conditions

The effects of desugarization using glucose oxidase/catalase and spray‐drying conditions on gelling properties of duck albumen powder were studied. Gelling temperatures increased as spray‐drying inlet temperatures (140–180C) were increased (p < .05). ΔE*, a*‐, and b*‐ values of gel increased but L* and whiteness decreased when higher spray‐drying temperatures were used (p < .05). However, whiteness and lightness of albumen gel were drastically increased after desugarization (p < .05). Texture profile analysis showed that hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness of gel decreased with increasing spray‐drying temperatures. Moreover, gel of freeze‐dried desugarized albumen powder had higher hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness than that of spray‐dried nondesugarized counterpart (p < .05). Albumen gel prepared from desugarized albumen powder showed the compact network with more connectivity and smaller voids than that from nondesugarized one as visualized by scanning electron microscopy, regardless of drying conditions. Prior desugarization could lower browning and increased gelling properties of duck albumen powder. Higher spray drying inlet temperature generally exhibited the adverse effect on properties of resulting albumen powder. Both desugarization and drying conditions had the profound influence on characteristics and textural property of duck egg albumen.     

Microwave-Vacuum Drying of Lactic Acid Bacteria: Influence of Process Parameters on Survival and Acidification Activity

Freeze drying is one important step in downstream processing of probiotics and starter cultures production and requires a long duration of the drying step, which, therefore, often is the overall production bottleneck. Microwave accelerated vacuum drying already showed promising results in terms of product quality for various food products. However, poor information on drying microorganisms by microwaves is available. The aim of this work was to set up a suitable microwave-vacuum drying process for the conservation of lactic acid bacteria and to investigate the optimum process parameters to achieve dried cultures with high survival and activity. The probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei F19 was used as model strain. The influence of the process parameters chamber pressure (7–30 mbar), specific microwave power input (1–5 W/g), and maximum product temperature (30–45 °C) on the main quality parameters survival rate, metabolic activity, and water activity of the dried samples were analyzed. Continuous energy input was shown to act detrimentally to the cells due to extreme temperature rise in the second drying stage. Proper temperature regulation could be obtained by pulsed microwave input according to a maximum set temperature. Intermediate microwave power between 3 and 4 W/g, the lowest tested pressure level of 7 mbar and low product temperatures of 30–35 °C, resulted in the highest survival and activity of the bacterial cells. With these results, it could be shown that microwave-vacuum drying appears as a promising alternative drying technique for the preservation of starter and probiotic cultures.