Preliminary Characterization of a Spray-Dried Hydrocolloid from a High Andean Algae (Nostoc sphaericum)

Abstract

The search for new natural sources of hydrocolloids with stabilizing, thickening, and good binding capacity, from raw materials that are environmentally friendly and that contribute to the circular economy is a challenge for the food industry. The aim of the study was the preliminary characterization of a spray-dried hydrocolloid from high Andean algae Nostoc sphaericum. Four ecotypes of algae from Peruvian high Andean lagoons located above 4000 m were considered. The samples were collected in the period March—April 2021 and were subjected to a spray drying process in an aqueous medium. The characterization showed that the dehydrated nostoc ecotypes presented high protein and carbohydrate content, making it a potential material for direct use as a functional food for humans. The spray-dried product presented good stability for its use as a hydrocolloid, with zeta potential values (ζ), around 30 mV, evidencing the presence of -CO-, -OH, -COO-, and -CH groups, characteristic of polysaccharides, representing 40% of total organic carbon on average, giving it low water activity values and particle size at the nanometric level. Major minerals such as Ca (>277 mg/100 g), Mg (>19.7 mg/100 g), and Fe (>7.7 mg/100 g) were reported. Spray-dried nostoc is a hydrocolloid material with high potential for the food industry, with good nutritional content and techno-functional behavior.

Microencapsulation of Erythrocytes Extracted from Cavia porcellus Blood in Matrices of Tara Gum and Native Potato Starch

“…The particle size determined by DLS varied between 541.6 and 903.7 nm for the NICOMP distribution and between 817.1 and 1672.2 nm for the Gaussian distribution. More than two peaks were also observed at T3C and T6C; and they were attributable to the spray drying that generates chemical and electrostatic interactions typical of the process, which would promote the agglomeration of particles of different sizes (including 39.8 and 122 nm), further influenced by the structural modification of the encapsulates, which were solubilized in water, giving rise to particles of different diameters from polypeptides, lipids and glucides [ 64 , 80 ]. The treatment with the highest proportion of encapsulants at 140 °C showed the largest particle size, while at 120 °C, the sizes were smaller [ 55 , 60 , 81 ].…”

“…The TOC results are shown in Figure 4, where it could be seen that the values in the encapsulates varied between 13.82 and 14.93%, no significant differences were observed between the treatments for each input temperature (p > 0.05), and no amounts of inorganic carbon (IC) were reported because the samples were totally organic. It was also noted that the higher the proportions of encapsulants, the higher the TOC contents in the treatments since carbon atoms are a structural part of polypeptides, glucides, lipids, and fibers [44,57,64], so their determination would allow confirming the presence of these molecules in the spray-dried products [16,58,65,66]. [28,38].…”

Formulation of Novel Composite (Activated Nanoclay/Hydrocolloid of Nostoc sphaericum) and Its Application in the Removal of Heavy Metals from Wastewater

“…Around 1530 cm −1 , low intensity spectra are observed, corresponding to the stretching vibrations of the COO- and -C=O bonds of the carboxylate anions [ 70 ]; at 1416 cm −1 stretching of the -C-O, -C-H, and -OH single bonds were observed; at 1060 cm −1 a high intensity peak is presented, which would be due to the manifestation of bond stretching -C-O, C-O-C, C-OH, a peak at 815 cm −1 of low intensity that indicates deformation of the -CH 2 bond corresponding to methylene groups, while between 800 and 580 cm −1 different low intensity spectra are presented, this area is known as the “fingerprint” of the materials, these spectra are attributed to stretching of the -C-H and -C-O bonds, belonging to starches and glucose, which is characteristic of hydrocolloids from algae [ 13 , 27 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ].…”

“…The nanoactivated clay (HMB-act) samples and the hydrocolloid were taken to a Nicomp, nano ZLS, Z3000 (Billerica, MA, USA), in order to determine particle size and ζ potential by dynamic light scattering (DLS). According to the methodology proposed by Choque-Quispe et al [ 27 ], microphotographs were taken through a scanning electron microscope, Thermo Fisher, model Prisma E (Waltham, MA, USA). IR analysis was determined through a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermo Fisher, model Nicolet IS50 (Waltham, MA, USA), in transmittance mode in the range of 4000 to 400 cm −1 and resolution of 4 cm −1 .…”

“…Clay was used and collected according to the description in Table 1. In the same way, spray-dried hydrocolloid (CH) extracted from a high Andean alga (Nostoc sphaericum) was used, obtained according to the methodology proposed by Choque-Quispe et al [27].…”