Longan (Dimocarpus longan) and lychee (Litchi chinensis): Functional ingredients in chocolate pralines

Abstract

Fresh and half‐dried fruits of lychee (Litchi Chinensis) and longan (Dimocarpus longan) were processed by air drying and implemented in diverse forms as fillings in order to produce chocolate pralines. Both dried fruits and chocolate pralines were characterized with total polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, flavan‐3‐ols and antioxidant capacity (2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl, 2, 2‐Azino‐Bis‐3‐Ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐Sulfonic acid) were determined by spectrophotometric and sensory analyses by quantitative descriptive analysis. Specific polyphenolic compounds were quantified using high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector. The bioactive content and profile of chocolate pralines produced with the addition of longan and lychee were not significantly altered when compared to plain chocolate, but the sensory analysis revealed a preference for lychee‐containing pralines, due to characteristic fruity sensory properties. Since longan and lychee fruits are still underutilized as raw materials and ingredients in food production, preservation by drying and incorporation into new products may enable their popularization and increase functional food production. Practical applications Since both longan and lychee are still underutilized as raw materials and ingredients in food production, preservation by drying and incorporation into new products may enable their popularization and increase functional food production.

Physicochemical, Antioxidant, Microstructural Properties and Bioaccessibility of Dark Chocolate with Plant Extracts

“…For comparison, the addition of various plant extracts such as red raspberry leaves [ 5 ], yellow tea [ 7 ], Sakura green tea, turmeric powder [ 6 ], black carrot [ 12 ], dried cranberries, and prunes [ 2 ] to DCh samples and chocolate products caused an increase in AC and TPC analyzed by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and F–C assays ( Table 4 ). Unexpectedly, the DPPH, ABTS, and TPC results [ 3 ] for all chocolate pralines produced with the addition of either longan or lychee were significantly lower than the antioxidant properties of control samples ( Table 4 ). The authors explained that replacing chocolate corpus with a filling containing a lower level of antioxidants caused a decrease in the overall AC and TPC in fortified chocolate products.…”

“…The decrease in reducing activity and scavenging activity of the investigated chocolates after simulated digestion may be due to the loss of the bioactive compounds and/or chemical transformations. [7] 4373 mg TE/100 g for DCh + yellow tea extract [7] 0.08 mg TE/g for CCh [12] 0.16-0.40 mg TE/g for CCh + black carrot extract [12] ABTS 1.91 mmol TE/L for DCh [2] 2.04 mmol TE/L for DCh + cranberries [2] 0.060 mmol TE/g for ChP [3] 0.022-0.044 mmol TE/g for ChP + longan [3] 0.028-0.039 mmol TE/g for ChP + lychee [3] 9 mmol/g for DCh [5] 9-11.5 mmol/g for DCh + red raspberry leaves extract [5] 11 mmol TE/100 g for DCh [6] 15.4 mmol TE/100 g for DCh + Sakura green tea leaves [6] 12.2 mmol TE/100 g for DCh + turmeric powder [6] 285 mg TE/100 g for DCh [7] 386 mg TE/100 g for DCh + yellow tea extract [ [6] 20,090 µmol GA/100 g for DCh + Sakura green tea leaves [6] 17,887 µmol GA/100 g for DCh + turmeric powder [6] 1760 mg C/100 g for DCh [7] 2400 mg C/100 g for DCh + yellow tea extract [7] 56.0 mg GA/kg for CCh [12] 85.0-117.7 mg GA/kg for CCh + black carrot extract [12] Physiological extracts DPPH 0.12 mg TE/g for CCh [12] 0. F-C 1800-10,100 µmol GA/100 g for DCh [6] 1850-13,900 µmol GA/100 g for DCh + Sakura green tea leaves [6] 1900-7800 µmol GA/100 g for DCh + turmeric powder [6] 70.8 mg GA/kg for CCh [12] 106.6-287.7 mg GA/kg for CCh + black carrot extract [12] DCh-dark chocolate; ChP-chocolate pralines; CCh-compound chocolate; C-catechin equivalent; TE-Trolox.…”

“…On the other hand, the characteristics and manufacturing of chocolate potentially allow the addition of pro-health ingredients such as dried fruits and other parts of plants. Therefore, in recent years, the effects of dried fruits and plants, such as prunes, papaya, apricots, raisins, cranberries, lychee, longan, nettle, red raspberry leaves, Sakura green tea, turmeric powder, and yellow tea powdered extracts on the antioxidant capacity (AC) of white, milk, semisweet, and dark chocolates determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), as well as levels of dominant antioxidants have been investigated [2][3][4][5][6][7]. The incorporation of dried fruit and plant extracts into chocolates influenced their antioxidant and sensory properties and contributed to the dietary intake of polyphenolic antioxidants.…”

Quality Changes in Diet Phalsa Squash Formulation during Storage: A Kinetic and Statistical Interpretation of Key Parameters Degradation Mechanism

“…The TPC was measured by the method of Rashid et al (2019a). 1 mL was homogenized in 80% methanol for 1 min.…”

Drying kinetics and quality dynamics of ultrasound-assisted dried selenium-enriched germinated black rice

“…In addition, sweet potato microstructure was significantly altered during hot-air drying [11] . To address the limits of conventional drying techniques, enhanced ultrasonic hot-air-drying methods are often utilized to reduce drying time and increase product quality [12] , [13] . Ultrasonic technology involves using mechanical waves to create ultrasonic cavitation, which leads to increased particle movement and modification of the material's internal structure.…”