No abstract

A commercial porous starch was evaluated for the use as a carrier for liquid flavours. Encapsulation trials performed with diacetyl showed a high initial load and good retention over time when more polar solvents commonly used in flavour creation were used. The physical interactions between the porous starch and solvents used in flavour creation were also studied. The glass transition temperature of the starch decreased upon addition of the polar solvents, ethanol and propylene glycol. Propylene glycol also produced an exothermic peak when mixed with porous starch, possibly due to the formation of complexes between the two components. Low resolution (1)H-NMR results suggested that a stronger interaction was established between more polar solvents and the porous starch, as indicated by a more marked decrease in relaxation times and proton diffusion coefficient of the solvents on adding porous starch.

No abstract

The market value of vanilla is constantly growing, as it is the aroma most appreciated by consumers worldwide. The key component of the aroma of vanilla beans is vanillin, which can be directly extracted from the plant, produced by chemical synthesis, or by bioconversion of natural precursors. Due to the increasing consumers' demand for products labeled as “natural,” extraction from vanilla pods results in a more valuable aroma source. Once the extraction is completed, what remains are the exhausted beans that still contain small seeds and other compounds, including varying amounts of vanillin trapped in the cellular structures of the plant. The application of fermentation of exhausted vanilla beans is proposed here as a strategy to recover “natural” vanillin and other valuable aroma compounds as a result of the metabolic conversion by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The aim of this study was to verify the fermentability of exhausted vanilla beans by-products for their valorization, allowing the recovery of high-value molecules or new applications in food products. Design of Experiment (DoE) was used to screen a library of LAB strains to identify the best condition of fermentation in response to varying cultivation conditions. A comparison between mono and co-culture of LAB was assessed. Moreover, sensory panel tests and the evaluation of the aromatic components by Solid Phase Micro Extraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis were carried out to better understand the modification of the aroma profile after fermentation. Fermentation with LAB changed the volatile profile and sensory characteristics of the exhausted vanilla beans and represents a promising method for the valorization of these by-products.