Characterization of lactobionic acid evidencing its potential for food industry application

Abstract

The chemical configuration of the lactobionic acid (LBA) evidences its potential properties, among which the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and chelating activities stand out in the literature. However, few studies aim at testing and confirming them. The purpose of this study was to determine some selected LBA properties, whose characteristics are of interest for its use as an ingredient in foodstuffs. The discussion followed the results of Fourier‐Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical, thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetry (TGA/DTG), minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the diffusion disk test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and iron/calcium chelating methodologies. The XRD analysis revealed the presence of an amorphous halo and the absence of defined peaks, a fact possibly related to its high hygroscopicity. The FTIR showed characteristic bands of the LBA structure. Results from TGA/DG verified the LBA thermal degradation, which evidenced that LBA could participate in most food industry unit processes within the first mass loss event. Antioxidant capacity reached a maximum inhibition of 56% for LBA and the chelating capacity of the iron ion achieved 54% of chelated ions, while the calcium ions reached 15%. The results revealed high potential of LBA application for microbial inhibition, moisture retention, and texture maintenance throughout storage of food products. Practical Applications Despite the potential of application of the LBA, few quantitative results demonstrate its ability of action in food. Even without permission in most countries around the world, more research with LBA will encourage the investigation of its toxicology, expanding the areas of application. Its thermal degradation profile and elevated solubility demonstrated the potential of LBA as food ingredient, performing moreover as antioxidant, chelating agent, antimicrobial, and texturizer. The results open the possibilities for many applications in the field of food chemistry and food industry.

Preparation of Edible Films with Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobionic Acid Produced by Sweet Whey Fermentation

“…Due to the chemical characteristics of LBA, it has a high interaction with water, which makes it easily soluble in aqueous media. In a recent study, 400 mg mL −1 of LBA were completely dissolved at room temperature [4]. Despite their high solubility, WS values are lower than for other films such as casein films [12], soybean polysaccharides [43], or sodium alginate [13].…”

“…The presence of LBA made the films thicker compared to the control films. This may be because LBA molecules are very hygroscopic [4] and have a higher capacity to retain water, making the films thicker. Furthermore, the more gelatine added to LBA films, the thicker they became.…”

“…LBA45 and LP45 showed the lowest PS values, so the presence of LBA in the edible films made them less resistant. LBA molecules are very hygroscopic (54 g mol −1 ) in comparison with other agents such as glycerol (33 g mol −1 ) or sorbitol (14 g mol −1 ) [40] and have a greater capacity to retain water [4]. Due to these characteristics, the presence of LBA makes the films thicker but mechanically weaker.…”

“…LBA has recently generated considerable attention in the food industry. This compound has many characteristics that make it potentially useful, such as its antioxidant [4], antimicrobial [5], and prebiotic properties [3], as it is resistant to the digestive environment and enzymes and can be metabolized by gastrointestinal microflora [6,7]. Although LBA has only been approved by the FDA for use in the form of the calcium salt (calcium lactobionate) [8,9], approval is under consideration by other food authorities and is expected in the short term.…”

The antimicrobial and bioactive properties of lactobionic acid

“…As a result, the MIC and MBC for these strains was observed to be 4 mg mL −1 . Cardoso et al 23 calculated the MIC for Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Salmonella spp. ATCC 13076 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 by the diffusion disk test.…”