abstract
Featured Application This work can be used for the development of sweet-tasting syrups rich in fructooligosaccharides by taking advantage of yacon agri-food by-products.Abstract Damaged yacon roots, often discarded, are a rich source of sweet carbohydrates. In this context, yacon roots from the Hualqui and Crespo varieties were characterized and processed into low-calorie and low-glycemic syrups for sugar reduction in foods. Syrups were obtained using, as technological adjuvants, lemon juice and its most relevant components: citric acid and ascorbic acid. The Hualqui variety was found to be mostly composed of fructose (210 g/kg), while the Crespo variety was rich in inulin (352 g/kg). The use of lemon juice during syrup production promoted the hydrolysis of inulin to fructooligosaccharides and fructose, yielding syrups with competitive relative sweetness (0.52-0.91), glycemic index (0.21-0.40), and caloric values (186-263 kcal/100 g) to commercial syrups. The increase in citric acid concentrations promoted inulin hydrolysis, yielding, at the highest concentration, syrups with higher fructose (333-445 g/kg) and kesto-type fructooligosaccharides (11-85 g/kg) content and lower surface stickiness and stringiness. The addition of ascorbic acid, as an antioxidant agent, decreased by 10% the free sugar content, negatively impacting the sweetness level. These results evidence that fructooligosaccharides-rich syrup can be obtained from yacon-damaged roots with tailored sweetness and low glycemic and caloric properties.
keywords
ASCORBIC-ACID DESTRUCTION; PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES; INULIN; HYDROLYSIS; FRUCTANS; EXTRACTION; PRODUCTS; FOOD
subject category
Chemistry; Engineering; Materials Science; Physics
authors
Fernandes, PAR; Antunes, BL; Liu, JN; Ferreira, SS; Fernandes, F; Alves, VD; Silva, A; Nunes, C; Coelho, E; Coimbra, MA
our authors
Cláudia Nunes
Assistant Researcher
Elisabete Verde Martins Coelho
Post-Doc Fellowship
Sónia dos Santos Ferreira
Post-Doc Fellowshipacknowledgements
This research was funded by PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundac & atilde;o para a Cienciae Tecnologia and Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) and the European Union(FEDER funds through the Operational Competitiveness Program (COMPETE2020)-POCI-01-0247-FEDER-046080 and LISBOA-01-0247-FEDER-046080) through the project 46080 "cLabel+: Alimentosinovadores "clean label" naturais, nutritivos e orientados para o consumidor".