ABSTRACT
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) plants are native to Southeast Asia and are part of the Zingiberaceae family. Global consumption and production of this plant are expanding. In countries such as Colombia, turmeric is a promising cultivar. Curcuminoids derived from its rhizomes are used in food, pharmaceuticals, and natural cosmetics. Curcuminoids constitute approximately 3 wt% of the rhizome. Many residues rich in cellulose and starch can thus be recovered. This study characterizes a novel starch isolated from Colombian turmeric cultivars. The morphological parameters of the starch were determined using microscopic techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Proximate analysis and infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were used to analyze the chemical composition, while physical analyses included thermal characterization, swelling power testing, solubility, water retention capacity, and colorimetry evaluation. The new starch granules were ellipsoidal in shape and ranged in diameter from 19.91 to 38.09. A trace amount of remaining curcumin was identified through chemical and physical characterization. The swelling power was 3.52 ± 0.30, and its water retention capacity was 3.44 ± 0.30. Based on these findings, turmeric can be useful in both food and non-food applications. Because starch was extracted from other Zingiberaceae plants, this study also includes a brief review of the related literature.
ABSTRACT
Cellulose crystallinity can be described according to the crystal size and the crystallinity index (CI). In this research, using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods, we studied the crystallinity of three different types of cellulose: banana rachis (BR), commercial cellulose (CS), and bacterial cellulose (BC). For each type of cellulose, we analyzed three different crystallization grades. These variations were obtained using three milling conditions: 6.5 h, 10 min, and unmilled (films). We developed a code in MATLAB software to perform deconvolution of the XRD data to estimate CI and full width at half-maximum (FWHM). For deconvolution, crystalline peaks were represented with Voigt functions, and a Fourier series fitted to the amorphous profile was used as the amorphous contribution, which allowed the contribution of the amorphous profile to be more effectively modeled. Comparisons based on the FTIR spectra and XRD results showed there were no compositional differences between the amorphous samples. However, changes associated with crystallinity were observed when the milling time was 10 min. The obtained CI (%) values show agreement with values reported in the literature and confirm the effectiveness of the method used in this work in predicting the crystallization aspects of cellulose samples.
ABSTRACT
New trends in food are emerging in response to consumer awareness of the relationship between food and health, which has triggered the need to generate new alternatives that meet the expectations of the market. Revolutionary fields such as nanotechnology have been used for the encapsulation of nutritional ingredients and have great potential for the management of food additives derived from fruits and plant species. Turmeric, a spice that has been used as a dyeing agent, is recognized for its properties in Ayurveda medicine. This article aims to provide an overview of the characteristics of turmeric as an ingredient for the food industry, including its properties as a coloring agent, antioxidant, and functional ingredient. This article also highlights the potential of nanotechnology to enhance these properties of turmeric and increase the possibilities for the application of its components, such as cellulose and starch, in the development of nanostructures for food development.
Subject(s)
Curcuma/chemistry , Food Technology/trends , Nanotechnology , Antioxidants , Coloring Agents , Functional FoodABSTRACT
RESUMEN Antecedentes la deficiencia de hierro, es reconocida a nivel mundial como uno de los principales problemas de salud pública asociados a la nutrición. En Colombia es necesario mejorar las estrategias nutricionales encaminadas a la población infantil, con el fin de incrementar su calidad de vida. Objetivo: desarrollar un refresco a partir de la mezcla de fresa, mora, gulupa y uchuva fortificado con hierro para niños en edad preescolar. Materiales y métodos para el desarrollo del producto, se seleccionaron cuatro frutas y se caracterizaron fisicoquímicamente. Para establecer la formulación del refresco, se realizó un diseño experimental ortogonal L82 , evaluando la aceptación sensorial como variable respuesta. Finalmente, se caracterizó el producto desarrollado, determinando el contenido de hierro y vitamina C. Resultados los ocho prototipos evaluados durante el desarrollo de la formulación, cumplieron con los requisitos establecidos en la normativa colombiana para los refrescos de fruta. El prototipo final presentó un contenido de 36,7% de fruta y el 40% del valor diario recomendado de hierro, en una porción de 250 ml. Conclusiones las cuatro frutas estudiadas pueden ser utilizadas en el desarrollo de refrescos con un importante aporte de vitamina C y fortificados con hierro, como estrategia nutricional para prevenir la deficiencia de este mineral en niños.
ABSTRACT Background Iron deficiency is recognized worldwide as a major public health concern, related to nutrition. In Colombia, the improvement of the nutritional strategies for children are required to increase their life quality. Objective To develop a mixed fruit beverage from strawberry, blackberry, gooseberry and purple passion fruit, fortified with iron for preschoolers. Materials and methods For the product development, four fruits were selected and characterized. To establish the beverage formulation, an orthogonal experimental design L825 was performed, evaluating the sensory acceptance as the response variable. Finally, the selected product was characterized by determining the content of iron and vitamin C. Results The eight prototypes obtained during the development of the beverage formulation accomplished the requirements of the Colombian law. The final prototype had a fruit content of 36.7 wt% and an iron intake value of 40 wt%, in a portion of 250 ml. Conclusions the four fruits studied can be used for the development of iron-fortified beverages, with an important contribution of vitamin C, as a nutritional strategy to prevent the deficiencies of this mineral in children.
