Gustavo Dacanal

Liposomes are colloidal structures capable of encapsulating, protecting, and releasing hydrophobic bioctives, as flavonoids. Quercetin is a flavonoid with high antioxidant activity that provides benefits to health. The wet-agglomeration processes in high-shear equipment are useful to produce granules from binary mixtures, obtaining a powder with homogeneous composition and without segregation or elutriation of fine particles. In this study, the binary mixtures containing microparticles of native cornstarch and nanoparticles of quercetin liposomes were aggregated in high-shear batches, using maltodextrin solution as binder agent. The cornstarch was enriched by agglomeration with 8%, 22%, and 30% (w/w) of quercetin-loaded lyophilized liposomes and the physical properties were evaluated. The moisture of all formulations showed similar values ranging from 4.42% to 4.57%. The values of hygroscopicity (g adsorbed water/100 g of dry matter) indicated the lyophilized liposomes were able to ...

ABSTRACT The green banana flour (GBF) from Musa cavendischii, variety “Nanicão”, can be used as a functional ingredient due its high content of resistant starch (RS2), in view of postprandial glycemic reduction and insulinemic levels when ingested. However, the GBF presents a cohesive profile, a low rate of wettability and dispersability in water at ambient temperature, besides its RS is thermo sensitive. Therefore, GBF was submitted to an agglomeration process using a pulsed fluidized bed (PFB) at pulsation frequency of 10 Hz. Aqueous solution of sodium alginate (5 g/100 g) was used as binder at a flow rate of 3.0 mL min−1, and temperature of 95 °C, pressure of 100 kPa, air velocity of 1.2 m s−1 and time of 50 min. Agglomerated flour was obtained with reduced moisture content, increased mean particle diameter, high flowability and porosity with irregular shape. Agglomerated flour presented a RS content of (53.95 ± 0.22) g/100 g in comparison to (57.49 ± 0.43) g/100 g (db) to the original content, showing that the agglomeration process did not affect the functional properties of GBF and increased the particles wettability properly to be used in liquid preparations.

ABSTRACT The agglomeration process enlarges particles and decreases the quantity of fine particles, leading to benefits such as lower rates of particle elutriation and reduced risks related to particle handling and inhalation. The pulsed fluid bed has some advantages over the conventional fluid bed equipment, including the improvement on fluidization of irregular particles of different sizes. The aim of this work was to study the agglomeration of pectin in pulsed fluidized bed and evaluate the physical properties of the agglomerated powder in relation to those of the raw material. The following variables were assessed: fluidizing air temperature, binder flow rate, fluidizing air velocity, and air pulsation frequency. Yields higher than 80% were achieved. There was an increase of almost 340% in the mean particle diameter. Compared with the raw material, which is more compact and circular, the agglomerated powder was more porous and irregular, and it presented improved appearance, flowability, wettability, and dissolution. The stress at fracture and the modulus of elasticity of the gel formed from the agglomerated product were higher compared with the gel obtained from the raw material showing enhanced properties as gelling and thickening agent.

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to study the fluid dynamics profiles of cohesive soy protein isolate powders at several air pulsation frequencies in a pulsed-fluid bed. Additionally, the physical property modifications of soy protein isolate powder produced by a wet-agglomeration process were also evaluated. During agglomeration, the raw particles coalesce, resulting in the formation of granules with increasing size, but morphological changes were also verified. The shape of the raw powder particles were circular and compact, while the agglomerated particles were wrinkled and showed lower circularity and tight solid bridges. The fluidization of spray-dried particles was enhanced with the pulsation system, resulting in higher fluid bed homogeneity and agglomerated products with narrow particle size distribution.