Comparison of catechins and aromas among different green teas using HPLC/SPME-GC

Green tea polyphenols (GTP) from Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze are the major water soluble components in tea liquor. The GTP extraction yield was determined using different extraction times from 10 to 60 min at 70°C, and also at different temperatures from 50°C to 100°C, keeping the extraction time constant. The composition of the GTP (catechins) from samples of different origins was determined by RP–HPLC, measuring the absorbance at 280 nm. The calibration curves of the catechins were linear between 5 ng and 2 μg, and their C.V. values for the quantitation were less than 4.0% for four replicates using four different sets of each type. The total epicatechin derivatives (EPD) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from Azorean green tea, accounted for 74.5 and 47.9% (w/w) of the total GTP, respectively, and were compared with that from tea samples of different origins. The EGCG:caffeine ratio in Azorean green tea was fourfold higher as compared with others, which suggested a good source of a chemopreventive agent. The aroma composition of different green tea samples was compared using the SPME/GC headspace methodology.     

Effects of green tea powder on the quality attributes of hard red winter wheat flour and Chinese steamed bread

The effects of green tea powder (GTP) on the properties of hard red winter (HRW) flour and Chinese steamed bread were investigated. GTP was blended with HRW flour at levels of 0.00, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00 and 4.00 g GTP/100 g wheat flour. With the addition of GTP, the maximum torque of flour became stronger. The resilience and degree of green colour of steamed bread increased, while hardness and chewiness decreased, with the addition of GTP. The addition of 1.00% GTP did not significantly affect the specific volume, but remarkably influenced the hardness and resilience of steamed bread. In steamed bread formulated with GTP, the antioxidant activity was 0.84 mm TE per g at 1.00% of GTP and increased with GTP levels. The steamed bread had a pleasant flavour, and the degree of overall liking of steamed bread increased with GTP levels to the maximum used in this work.     

Bioactive components and antioxidant properties of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) tea leaves

Various ethanolic concentrations (0–95%, v/v) and temperatures (25–95 °C) were used to extract γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) tea leaves. Extraction yields, and contents of total phenols, various catechins, GABA, theanine, and antioxidant properties of extracts were determined. The 50% (v/v) ethanol at 50–95 °C gave higher yields (32.05–32.56 g dried extract/100 g dried tea leaves). The bioactive components and antioxidant properties of extracts were affected by the ethanolic concentrations and temperatures. Among catechins, epigallocatechin gallate was the main catechin in all extracts, followed by epigallocatechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin and gallocatechin gallate. The 50–75% (v/v) ethanol at 75–95 °C gave higher contents of ester type (102.92–104.54 mg/g extract) and non-ester type (61.75–63.55 mg/g extract) catechins. Water at 50–75 °C gave higher GABA and theanine contents and higher chelating ability of extracts. The 75% (v/v) ethanol at 25–75 °C gave higher scavenging ability and reducing power of extracts. Based on dried tea extracts or leaves results obtained, the optimal extraction conditions to maintain the total contents of various catechins, GABA and theanine in the maximum level were 50% ethanol (v/v) and 75–95 °C.     

Enhanced lactic acid fermentation of silage by the addition of green tea waste

The effects of green tea waste (GTW) addition on the ensiling of forage were investigated. Wet and dried GTW added at 10, 50, 100 and 200 g kg^?1 of fresh matter (FM) and at 2, 10 and 20 g kg^?1 FM, respectively, decreased pH and increased lactic acid concentration of the silages, whereas the butyric acid concentration and ammonia nitrogen content, as a proportion of a total nitrogen, were lowered, compared with silage without additives (control). To investigate the effect of GTW‐associated LAB on silage fermentation, wet GTW was sterilized by autoclaving or gamma irradiation and added at 50 g kg^?1 FM. The silages made with sterilized GTW showed higher lactic acid concentrations, and lower pH and butyric acid concentrations than controls. The counts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were higher in silages made with sterilized GTW than control until 10 days after ensiling. The enhanced lactic acid fermentation was not found when green tea polyphenols (GTP) were added. These data suggested that GTW could enhance LAB growth and lactic acid production of silage, particularly when added at 50 g kg^?1 FM in a wet form or at the equivalent in a dry form. Although neither GTW‐associated LAB nor GTP accounted for the enhancement of lactic acid fermentation, GTW would possibly supply some nutrients which are heat‐stable and effective for LAB growth during silage fermentation. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

山楂茶特征成分分析

采用一定加工工艺制作山楂茶,测定其营养功能成分含量,并采用顶空固相微萃取与气相色谱-质谱联用技术检测香气成分,探讨其加工适宜性。结果表明：经传统绿茶加工工艺后,山楂茶保持较高黄酮含量（24.3 mg/g）及多酚含量（15.4 mg/g）,与山楂鲜叶相比下降不明显,能够有效保留活性成分;山楂茶氨基酸总量为121.16 mg/g,经加工后比原叶提高33.08%,营养价值提高;香气成分分析表明山楂茶中共检测出43 种香气物质,其中含量较高的成分为紫罗酮、丁香酚、苯乙醛、香叶基丙酮、芳樟醇、叶绿醇、壬醛等,这些成分均为绿茶特征香气成分,形成山楂茶独特的风味。该实验结果为山楂茶的加工适宜性提供一定的数据支撑。     

Investigation of the interaction between soluble antioxidants in green tea and insoluble dietary fiber bound antioxidants

This work investigates the possibility of interaction between insoluble dietary fiber bound antioxidants, specifically of wheat bran, and soluble antioxidants like those provide by aqueous infusions of green tea. Solutions of pure catechins were also assayed for comparison with those naturally found in tea. To accomplish this, the aqueous and alcohol soluble fractions as well as the lipid components of wheat bran were firstly removed and the freeze-dried insoluble residue was then treated with different concentrations of green tea infusions or aqueous solutions of epicatechin (EC) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) for certain time. Treatment with EC (0–200 μM) had no significant effect on the antioxidant capacity of insoluble bran fraction. However, treatment with EGCG significantly (p < 0.05) increased linearly the antioxidant capacity as a function of concentration (0–100 μM). Treatment with great tea infusions (1–3 g/100 ml) also increased the resulting antioxidant capacity of insoluble bran fraction, but the effect was lesser at higher infusion concentrations. Liquid chromatography couple to mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analyses of aqueous phases after treatment indicated comparable levels of decrease in the concentrations of catechins confirming their reaction with the radical forms of antioxidants bound to insoluble bran matrix.     

White and green tea polyphenols inhibit pancreatic lipase in vitro

Green, white and black teas were assayed for inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity in vitro. White tea proved to be more effective than green tea with black tea showing little inhibition even at 200 μg GAE/ml. The EC₅₀ values for inhibition were 22 μg/ml for white tea and 35 μg/ml for green tea; both easily achievable from normal infusions of tea. Liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis showed that white and green teas had essentially equal amounts of flavan-3-ols but green tea had higher levels of flavonols. White tea had higher levels of 5-galloyl quinic acid, digalloyl glucose, trigalloyl glucose and the tannin, strictinin.After chromatography on Sephadex LH-20, the main inhibitory fraction was enriched in strictinin and fractions enriched in other components were ineffective. This suggests that strictinin content may be crucial for inhibition of pancreatic lipase. However, the possibility of synergies between the polyphenols cannot be disregarded.     

Physico-chemical properties and nutrient composition of beach pea (Lathyrus maritimus L.)

Physico-chemical properties of Beach pea (Lathyrus maritimus L.) seeds were evaluated and their proximate composition determined. Results were also compared with those of green pea (Pisum sativum) and field pea (Lathyrus sativus). Beach pea seeds had a very low grain weight, density, hydration capacity, hydration index, swelling capacity and swelling index as compared to green pea and field pea. The contents of crude protein (29.2%), crude fibre (12.0%), reducing sugars (0.2%), total phenolics (1.2%) and ash (3.0%), and total free amino acids (0.6%) of beach pea were substantially higher than other pea varieties examined. The contents of cysteine (1.6%), methionine (1.1%), and tryptophan (0.3%) in beach pea proteins were low, but higher than those in green pea and field pea varieties from Canadian and Indian cultivars. Beach pea lipids were dominated by linoleic acid (69.1%), and were similar to green pea (45.1%) and Canadian grown field pea (57.0%). The macroelements of beach pea were dominated by potassium (476 mg/100 g), phosphorus (413 mg/100 g), magnesium (1180 mg/100 g), and calcium (144 mg/100 g). The contents of microelements, namely manganese, zinc, and iron in beach pea were 3.5, 3.0 and 9.4 mg/100 g, respectively.     

中国绿茶传统加工过程中抗氧化物质含量及抗氧化活性的变化

研究中国绿茶传统加工过程不同工艺阶段茶汤总酚、总黄酮、抗坏血酸含量和抗氧化能力的变化。加工成品的总酚含量从鲜叶的119.91mg/g(以干质量计)下降到100.33mg/g,总黄酮含量也有相似的变化趋势,从2.90mg/g下降到2.04mg/g,且这两种成分的降低主要发生在“回潮”阶段。此外,加工过程中茶汤抗坏血酸含量也逐渐下降(从4.17mg/g降至2.95mg/g)。尽管经过剧烈的加工,鲜叶总抗氧化能力(TEAC)仅出现轻微降低,TEAC从(524.94±18.68)μmol/g降至成品中的(487.03±17.97)μmol/g,但总酚和总黄酮与TEAC无线性关系(R2=0.19,R2= 0.01),而DPPH自由基与总酚和总黄酮有较好的线性关系(R2=0.77,R2=0.56)。此外,加工过程中茶叶抗自动氧化能力增强(抑制率从52.45%增加至78.12%)。表明中国绿茶传统加工过程导致成品茶汤主要抗氧化物质含量的减少,但仅导致其抗氧化能力的轻微改变。     

The phenolic compounds and the antioxidant potential of infusion of herbs from the Brazilian Amazonian region

The consumption of tea increased significantly in the past few years as a result of its health benefits as potent antioxidants in the diet. However, studies on the antioxidant compounds from Brazilian tea are scarce. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoids (TF) contents and the antioxidant capacity (DPPH and β-carotene/linoleic acid system) of nine herb infusions from the Amazonian region, namely agirú (Chrysobalanus icaco), açoita-cavalo (Luehea speciosa), capim-santo (Cymbopogon citratus), erva-cidreira (Lippia alba), graviola (Annona muricata L.), jucá (Libidibia ferrea), pata-de-vaca (Bauhinia ungulata), parirí (Fridericia chica) and sacaca comum (Croton spp.). These herbs were chosen based on popular knowledge and consumption. C. ferrea (68.13 mg GAE/g), L. speciosa (47.54 mg GAE/g) and C. icaco (51.30 mg GAE/g) presented the highest TPC contents, while L. speciosa (12.85 mg CE/g) and L. alba (15.42 mg CE/g) showed the highest TF contents. The highest antioxidant capacity, using both assays, was shown by L. ferrea. The three herbs with the highest TPC contents were selected to be analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a diode array detector (DAD). A commercial green tea (Camellia sinensis) was also analyzed as a reference. The main compounds tentatively identified were gallic acid (0.45 mg/g), myricetin (0.78 mg/g) and quercetin (0.14 mg/g) in C. icaco; (+)-catechin (1.20 mg/g) and quercetin (0.14 mg/g) in L. speciosa; gallic acid (0.59 mg/g) and quercetin (0.13 mg/g) in C. ferrea; and gallic acid (0.24 mg/g), (−)-epicatechin (2.44 mg/g), (+)-catechin (0.68 mg/g) and quercetin (0.66 mg/g) in green tea. Among the nine studied herbs, the importance of L. ferrea should be pointed out since it presented the highest TPC content and antioxidant capacity and its gallic acid content was much higher than that of green tea.     

Effect of green tea extract and microwave pre-cooking on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines in fried chicken meat products

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are mutagenic compounds formed naturally in meats after thermal processing and are classified as a probable human carcinogen. Also, mutagenic potency of HAAs is about 100-fold stronger than that of aflatoxin and 2000-fold stronger than that of benzo[a]pyrene. The aims of the present study were to investigate HAA contents and to determine HAA existence in coated chicken drumsticks (CDs) and coated chicken wings (CWs) which are frequently consumed in fast food chains after purchasing from fast food restaurants, and the effects of green tea extract added into the cover material and microwave-precooking for the mitigation and the formation of HAAs in CD and CW samples produced using a laboratory model. HAA (IQx, IQ, MeIQx, MeIQ, 7,8-DiMeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx, PhIP, AαC, MeAαC) analysis was done by HPLC after solid-phase extraction. MeIQx is the dominant HAA in all CD and CW samples obtained from fast food restaurants, and its level was found to vary between 0.22–33.73 and 11.22–62.83 ng/g, respectively. PhIP was detected in 5 out of 20 samples from fast food restaurants with a maximum level of 3.15 ng/g, and IQx, 7,8-DiMeIQx, AαC, and MeIQ were also detected. MeIQx values of CW and CD samples produced with the laboratory model varied between not detected and 1.45 and not detected and 2.32 ng/g, respectively, while IQ, MeIQ, 7.8 DiMeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx, AαC, and MeAαC were not detected in any of the CW or CD samples produced using the laboratory model. HAA contents of CD and CW samples obtained from fast food restaurants were higher than those of samples produced using the laboratory model due to the possible effect of uncontrolled frying conditions in restaurants. In addition, it was determined that the addition of green tea extract (GTE) and microwave pre-cooking (MC) did not present any detectable effect on reducing the formation of HAAs in fried CDs and CWs produced using a laboratory model under controlled frying conditions.     

代表性黄白化品种扁形绿茶化学品质特征解析

目的 探究不同黄白化品种扁形绿茶主要化学成分差异及其汤色、滋味特征。方法 采用超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆串联质谱法(ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry, UPLC-TQ-MS)和紫外-可见分光光度法等方法对不同黄白化品种扁形绿茶的主要水溶性成分进行定量测定,并结合感官分析和色差分析,探讨白叶1号和中黄系列品种制作的扁形绿茶的化学成分差异及其与汤色、滋味特征的内在联系。结果 普通绿茶品种(龙井43)、黄化品种(中黄系列)和白化品种(白叶1号)按照扁形绿茶工艺制得扁形绿茶,其茶多酚总量与氨基酸总量比值(酚氨比)的平均值分别为3.93、3.33(黄化品种比值范围为2.93～3.91)和2.59。化学成分分析显示,白叶1号和中黄系列扁形绿茶的主要差异成分为槲皮素糖苷(总量分别为3.11和3.86 mg/g)、半乳糖基黄酮糖苷(总量分别为1.21和2.32 mg/g)和非酯型儿茶素(总量分别为24.83和15.85 mg/g),均差异显著(P<0.05)。感官审评和色差分析表...     

Effect of superfine grinding on quality and antioxidant property of fine green tea powders

Six Green tea powders (GTPs) were prepared from green tea with superfine grinding process. Their main quality components were determined by chemical methods and the scavenging effects of GTPs on ·OH and O₂^.? in vitro were evaluated by using deoxyribose assay and xanthine oxidase method, respectively. The results indicated that tea polyphenols and catechins contents decreased, while the contents of water-soluble carbohydrates in GTPs increased markedly, and no significant difference in amino acids and caffein with the decrease in particle size during superfine grinding, which benefited to reduce bitterness and preserve briskness of GTPs. Meanwhile, superfine grinding increased extraction of TPS markedly, which could lead to more potent scavenging capacity of GTPEs on ·OH. Based on the above analysis, it suggested that superfine grinding time should be controlled within 30–50 min, with ideal parameters of GTP: X: 4.93–4.75%, d₅₀: 20.3–13.5 μm, ρ_bulk: 0.323–0.297 kg/m³, ρ_tapped: 0.666–0.614 kg/m³. Under this condition, we could prepare GTP with green and bright color, narrower and more uniform particle size distribution, as well as possessing more food processing property.     

Comparison of bioactive components in GABA tea and green tea produced in Taiwan

The aim of this study is to investigate the bioactive components of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) tea as compared with green tea produced in Taiwan. Using in total 56 tea samples (28 green tea and 28 GABA tea), moisture content, Hunter L, a and b values, phenolic compounds, amino acids including GABA, fatty acids and ascorbic acid were determined. The results showed that moisture, total free amino acids, crude fat, Hunter L value, total nitrogen, free fatty acids and reducing sugar did not differ significantly between GABA tea and green tea. However, GABA tea had higher Hunter a and b values, while green tea had higher total catechin and ascorbic acid contents (p < 0.05). Of major catechins, epicatechin and epigallocatechin gallate were found to be lower in GABA tea than in green tea. For free amino acids, GABA, alanine, ammonia, lysine, leucine and isoleucine were found to be significantly higher in GABA tea, while the glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine were higher in green tea (p < 0.05). Theanine, tryptophan, valine, threonine and methionine were not found to be different between the two kinds of tea.     

野化白云黄茶闷黄过程中的品质成分变化及其菌种分离鉴定

为了掌握野化白云茶树鲜叶加工成黄茶加工过程的影响因素,该研究对比分析了野化白云茶加工的黄茶、烘青绿茶、半烘半炒绿茶的主要品质成分;分析了野化白云茶鲜叶加工黄茶过程中的依工艺阶段取8个茶样（茶青、杀青叶、揉捻叶、再炒叶（除水叶）、闷黄24 h、闷黄48 h、闷黄72 h、毛茶）可培养菌种的变化。野化白云茶与烘青绿茶、半烘半炒绿茶比较,除氨基酸、咖啡碱含量略有下降外,水浸出物含量分别高出4.80%、7.11%,可溶性糖含量分别高出0.41%、0.36%,茶多酚含量、儿茶素总含量呈下降趋势,酯型儿茶素总量下降21.62 mg/g、19.08 mg/g,EGCG下降9.99 mg/g、6.98 mg/g,GCG下降14.23 mg/g、13.80 mg/g,以上成分变化均差异显著（p<0.05）;非酯型儿茶素组分中除C减小2.49 mg/g、1.75 mg/g（p<0.05）外,其余非酯型儿茶素组分和总含量变化差异不显（p>0.05）;闷黄24 h,酵母菌数量明显,至72 h霉菌成优势菌种（3.5×105 CFU/g）;分离鉴出8株微生物,包括1株拟盘多毛孢属,4株青霉属,1株枝孢属及2株酵母菌属,其中Penicillium exsudans菌首次从茶叶加工中和茶叶中分离并鉴定。说明闷黄使茶叶水溶性物质、可溶性糖增加,茶多酚、酯型儿茶素下降,闷黄阶段有微生物繁殖并参与黄茶品质的形成。     

Relative antioxidant and cytoprotective activities of common herbs

Many studies have been carried out on bioactivities of individual herbs, however, no collective study on their comparative antioxidant and cytoprotective activities against oxidative damage has been reported. We selected 17 common commercial herbs and studied their relative phenolic contents, antioxidant activities, and cytoprotective activities on gap–junction intercellular communication and antioxidative enzymes in vitro under the same conditions. Total polyphenol content ranged from 464 to 870 gallic acid equivalents (GAE) mg/100 g and total flavonoid content from 212 to 494 catechin equivalents (CE) mg/100 g. Among the samples, chamomile, rosehip, hawthorn, lemon verbena, and green tea contained relatively high total phenolics (769–844 mg GAE/100 g) and flavonoids (400–4 mg CE/100 g). Chamomile also showed the highest antioxidant activity with 960 mg/100 g of vitamin C equivalent (VCE), followed by hawthorn (929 mg VCE/100 g) and black tea (916 mg VCE/100 g). Total phenolic and total flavonoids showed a higher correlation with antioxidant activity. Most of herbs enhanced cell viability and showed protective effects against oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (V79-4) cells. Furthermore, herbs used in this study showed higher protective effect on gap–junction intercellular communication (GJIC) as compared to gallic acid and catechin, and also enhanced activity of the antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in a dose-dependent manner.     

Analysis of Trace Metals and Perfluorinated Compounds in 43 Representative Tea Products from South China

Six trace metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Mn) and 2 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), were analyzed in 43 representative tea products (including 18 green, 12 Oolong, and 13 black teas) from 7 main tea production provinces in China, using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer for trace metals analysis and HPLC‐MS/MS for PFOS and PFOA analysis. The average contents of the 3 essential metals Mn, Cu, and Zn ions in the tea samples were 629.74, 17.75, and 37.38 mg/kg, whereas 3 toxic metals Cd, Cr, and Pb were 0.65, 1.02, and 1.92 mg/kg, respectively. The contents of heavy metals in the 3 types of tea were in the order of black tea > Oolong tea > green tea. Both PFOS and PFOA contents were low and PFOA content was higher than PFOS in the tea samples. The highest concentration of PFOA was 0.25 ng/g dry weight found in a Hunan green tea. The Principal component analysis was performed with the trace metals and PFCs to analyze the relationships of these indices. The results showed that black teas had higher trace metals and PFCs than green and Oolong teas, and the teas from Hunan and Zhejiang provinces had higher Pb and Cr than others.     

Extraction behaviors of caffeine and chlorophylls in supercritical decaffeination of green tea leaves

The decaffeination of green tea using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) for the maximal removal of caffeine, and the coextration of chlorophylls was also monitored during decaffeination. The experimental conditions for the SC-CO₂ extraction of caffeine were set up according to the Box-Behnken design of RSM. The relationships between the extraction yield of caffeine and various parameters used for the SC-CO₂ extraction such as pressure, temperature and concentration of ethanol were studied at a fixed CO₂ flow rate. The extraction yields of caffeine and total chlorophyll were significantly influenced by extraction pressure, temperature and concentration of cosolvent, and their extraction yields behaved almost in parallel at different extraction conditions that were obtained by varying pressure, temperature and ethanol cosolvent concentration. At the optimal decaffeination conditions such as 3.0 g of 95% (v/v) ethanol cosolvent per 100 g of CO₂, 23 MPa, 63 °C and an extraction duration of 120 min for 10 g of green tea leaves, the extraction yields for caffeine and catechins were 96.60% (w/w) and 40.61% (w/w), respectively, and the substantial coextraction of total chlorophyll (43.09% of the total amount) was also observed during the decaffeination process.     

树莓叶茶和嫩尖茶抗氧化活性成分研究

目的 研究树莓叶茶和嫩尖茶的抗氧化活性成分。方法 对树莓叶茶和嫩尖茶的鞣花酸、黄酮和多酚含量进行了测定, 并与绿茶炒青进行了比较, 在此基础上考察了不同种类茶叶对DPPH和ABTS自由基的清除能力。结果 树莓叶茶和嫩尖茶的鞣花酸含量较为丰富, 最高达26.75 mg/g, 是特级炒青6.8倍, 黄酮含量也较绿茶炒青高, 达18~22 mg/g; 树莓嫩尖茶的多酚含量同炒青接近, 均超过180 mg/g, 两者的抗氧化活性均较强, 而树莓叶茶的总多酚含量较低, 仅为绿茶和树莓嫩尖茶36%~39%, 抗氧化活性较弱。相关性分析发现茶叶样品的抗氧化活性与多酚含量呈极显著正相关。结论 树莓叶茶抗氧化性较弱, 而嫩尖茶具有较强的抗氧化活性, 可以加以推广。     

Influence of process parameters on the physico-chemical and microstructural properties of rice crackers: A case study of novel spray-frying technique

The physico-chemical and microstructural properties of fried rice crackers were studied as a function of spray-frying. Fried rice crackers were produced using the spray- and deep-frying techniques and their moisture content, oil uptake, color, texture (i.e., hardness, expansion ratio, and bulk density), and microstructure were compared. For spray-frying, the heat distribution inside the frying chamber, the effects of spraying rate of oil (0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 L/s), and spinning speed of the frying basket (60, 80, and 100 rpm) were evaluated. Although the average temperature varied at each depth of the fryer, it did not influence overall heat distribution. Results also revealed that higher spraying rate and spinning speed resulted in higher moisture loss, higher oil uptake, darker color, and less crispiness. Compared with deep-frying, the oil uptake of spray-fried samples was lower by 45.4%. The color of the spray-fried crackers was better than that of the deep-fried samples. SEM micrographs showed that the cellular structure and integrity of the cell wall of deep-fried rice crackers were more deformed. They also had larger pore diameter and deeper and larger cavities, leading to higher oil content and crispier texture than spray-fried samples. Rice crackers fried using a spraying rate of 0.7 L/s and spinning speed of 100 rpm resulted in the most desirable physico-chemical qualities. Although the texture properties of the resulting rice crackers could still be improved, spray-frying could be an alternative technique in producing high-quality rice crackers with very low oil content.