Structural effects of selected hydrocolloids on Ca (II)-alginate beads containing hydrosol from Rosa damascena Mill

Abstract

Alginates are suitable for the encapsulation of a great variety of biomolecules. Recent trends include encapsulation of plant extracts or macromolecules in alginate gel to enhance their health and functional properties when they are applied in food matrix or pharmaceutical products. The rose hydrosol is produced by the distillation of petals of (Rosa damascena Mill.). This product is popular in cosmetics also it is used as a food additive in some Eastern country. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant potential of rose hydrosol and to evaluate the influence of different hydrocolloids on the structural-mechanical properties of Ca (II)-alginate beads with rose hydrosol. The alginate microspheres were formed with different amounts of sodium alginate (2-4%), sucrose, rose hydrosol and selected hydrocolloids, as neutral polysaccharides (inulin and guar gum) and anionic heteropolysacchides (pectin, K-carrageenan, xanthan). The addition of inulin in the concentration 3% and 6% resulted in the increase of the rupture force by 34% and led to improvement in plasticizing effect. The additional complete characterization of the beads with rose hydrosol was performed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, assigning the characteristic bands to each individual component. In this study, the obtained information for structure-mechanical properties allows the design of Ca (II)-alginate systems enriched with dietary fibers and rose hydrosol, with an acceptable sensory profile for future application in foods.