Aguamiel syrup as a technological diversification product: Composition, bioactivity and present panorama

• Published in: Future foods : a dedicated journal for sustainability in food science 2023-12, Vol.8, p.100249, Article 100249
• Main Authors: Castañeda-Ovando, A., Moreno-Vilet, L., Jaimez-Ordaz, J., Ramírez-Godínez, J., Pérez-Escalante, E., Cruz-Guerrero, A.E., Contreras-López, E., Alatorre-Santamaría, S.A., Guzmán-Rodríguez, F.J., González-Olivares, L.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agave; Aguamiel; Aguamiel syrup; Maguey functional food
• ISSN: 2666-8335; 2666-8335
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fufo.2023.100249

•Pulque is a traditional Mexican fermented beverage with probiotic characteristics.•Aguamiel is the primary raw material for pulque production.•Aguamiel is related to a prebiotic food due to its significant content of fructans.•The revalorization of aguamiel allows producing other derived food like syrup.•Aguamiel syrup is considered a nutraceutical food. Mexico has a rich history of using aguamiel extracted from Agave spp to make pulque, a fermented beverage popular in Mesoamerica. However, pulque has been overtaken by more commercially produced and distilled liquors such as tequila and mezcal. As a result, alternative uses for aguamiel have been explored, including aguamiel syrup. This syrup is made by thermally concentrating aguamiel from various Agave species and has gained popularity in the health-conscious, organic, and functional food markets due to its nutraceutical properties. Two important bioactive compounds found in aguamiel and aguamiel syrup are saponins, which have anticancer, adjuvant, immunostimulant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hypocholesterolemic, and antioxidant properties, and agavin-type functional oligosaccharides, which have prebiotic activity and can help reduce energy intake in humans. However, the traditional artisanal process used to create aguamiel syrup has made it difficult to standardize its composition and increase its commercial value. This review focuses on the characteristics of aguamiel as a raw material for producing aguamiel syrup, exploring its physicochemical composition and nutraceutical properties. A proposed semi-industrial process based on the evidence from consulted references could help modernize the production of aguamiel syrup.