Microwave-assisted extraction, encapsulation, and bioaccessibility of carotenoids from organic tomato industry by-product

• Published in: Innovative food science & emerging technologies 2024-07, Vol.95, p.103706, Article 103706
• Main Authors: Aldana-Heredia, Juan Felipe, Hernández-Carrión, María, Gómez-Franco, Juan David, Narváez-Cuenca, Carlos-Eduardo, Sánchez-Camargo, Andrea del Pilar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agricultural wastes; Bioactive compound preservation; bioavailability; biomass; By-product valorization; experimental design; food science; freeze drying; fruits; functional foods; gum arabic; industrial byproducts; lycopene; maltodextrins; microencapsulation; microwave treatment; Response surface methodology; Solanum lycopersicon; Solanum lycopersicum; tomatoes; vegetable industry; water activity; water content; whey protein isolate; β-Carotene
• ISSN: 1466-8564; 1878-5522
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifset.2024.103706

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a widely consumed fruit in the world. Discarded biomass has a huge potential, as tomato peel is rich in carotenoid content. This study focuses on the recovery of carotenoids from tomato industry agro-wastes, specifically peel and seeds. Initially, the conventional method was employed to analyze the sample, determining a total carotenoid content of 3.19 ± 0.23 mg β-carotene eq/g dry matter. A carotenoid profiling of the sample revealed high concentration of 5-cis-lycopene (1340.1 ± 15.6 μg all-trans-β-carotene eq/g dry matter), 9-cis lycopene (1062.7 ± 12.8 μg all-trans-β-carotene eq/g dry matter) and all-trans-β-carotene (1246.4 ± 1.7 μg all-trans-β-carotene eq/g dry matter). Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was employed as a green extraction method to optimize biomass-solvent ratio (BSR), extraction time (ET), and microwave power (MP) for achieving maximum recovery of carotenoids. A surface response methodology based on a Box-Behnken design was used. The optimized extract (BSR 1:10 g:mL, ET 60 s, and MP 283.84 W) was microencapsulated using maltodextrin (MD) combined with either gum arabic (GA) or whey protein isolate (WP) as wall materials. Freeze-drying was utilized for capsule sealing. The properties of the encapsulates were characterized, including moisture content (0.99 ± 0.04% for MD:GA and 0.80 ± 0.07% for MD:WP), water activity (0.087 ± 0.01 for MD:GA and 0.084 ± 0.01 for MD:WP), dissolution rate (140.4 1 ± 6.41 s for MD:GA and 86.49 ± 1.68 s for MD:WP), tapped density (0.48 ± 0.01 g/mL for MD:GA and 0.44 ± 0.01 g/mL for MD:WP), drying yield (90.73 ± 3.34% for MD:GA and 89.73 ± 3.47% for MD:WP), and encapsulation efficiency (68.12 ± 1.42% for MD:GA and 74.55 ± 1.62% for MD:WP). Bioaccessibility studies for encapsulated extract revealed values of 27.68% ± 0.72 and 25.10% ± 0.04 for MD:GA and MD: WP, respectively. This research highlights the potential of tomato agro-wastes as a valuable source of bioactive compounds. The implementation of MAE and microencapsulation techniques demonstrates effective strategies for their recovery and preservation obtaining the optimal conditions for the MAE (BSR 1:10 g: mL, ET 60 s, and MP 283.84 W) and for the encapsulation (MD: WP mixture). These findings contribute to the valorization of tomato industry by-products and their potential application in functional food products. •Tomato peel and seeds is a valuable source of carotenoids, mainly lycopene and β-carotene.•MAE optimal c