Physicochemical parameters and antioxidant activity of gummy jellies prepared with Brazilian Green Propolis

Currently, in Brazil and worldwide, there is a trend encouraging the intake of healthier foods. In 2018, the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) created a standard for the use of new food supplement ingredients, including the use of so-called "bioactive substances", such as propolis. This is a resin collected by bees from trees and deposited in the hives that can be used as a functional ingredient in food and nutraceutical products due its biological activities, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anesthetic, as cytotoxic agent, immunomodulator, antidiabetes, antifungal, anticancer and at wound healing. A study conducted with propolis extracts revealed a powerful antioxidant activity and free radical reduction. The extracts with the highest amount of phenolic compounds including flavonoids showed the most pronounced antioxidant activities. Thus, the purpose of this work was obtain a standardized propolis extract (EEP), establishing its quality parameters (the quantification of main active molecules by UV-Vis spectroscopy and HPLC-DAD; and the antioxidant activity using DPPH protocol), to develop a gummy jellies (candy) containing EEP added at doses that does not alter jelly fruity flavor. After product development, the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of the final product were evaluated. To obtain the gummy jellies, a method previously developed in the University of Murcia was used, using the following ingredients: citric and lactic acids, modified corn starch, sodium citrate, gelatin, glucose syrup, sucrose, strawberry aroma and color, and finally the dry EEP (adjusting the humidity with water, through a refractometer - oBrix). The EEP used presented the following characteristics: humidity - 4.30%; total polyphenols - 9.92%; flavonoids - 2.87%; wax - 9.22%; and 38.78% of insoluble residues, which are as recommended by Brazilian law. The content of Artepillin-C was 3.41% (HPLC-DAD) and the antioxidant activity was defined as 25.32 µg/g of extract. For gummy jellies, the following results were obtained: humidity - 18.6%; insoluble residues - 81.4%; ash - 0.21%; pH 3.33, total polyphenols - 207 µg/g of candy; Artepillin -C - 47.3 µg/g of candy; and antioxidant activity - 89.88 mg/g of candy. These results demonstrate the potential of propolis to be used in functional food formulations and food supplements, being essential the quality control assurance.

References:

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