DEVELOPMENT OF ICE CREAM ENRICHED WITH NANOENCAPSULATED LUTEIN

Lutein is an important bioactive due to the possibility of application as a natural food additve, able to replace artificial dyes, as well as for its antioxidant activity. However, this yellowish pigment is very sensitive, highly susceptible to oxidation by external factors such as heat, low pH and exposure to light. Microencapsulation is an alternative for the reduction and prevention of such degradation processes, and among the most used methods for hydrophobic bioactives such as lutein, is emulsification. The objective of the present research work was to produce passion fruit flavor ice creams incorporated with nanoencapsulated lutein emulsion (produced by Yosen Nanotechnology, Ribeirão Preto, SP, with medium-chain tryglicerides as oil phase and phospholipids as surfactants), evaluating their physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptance. Three ice cream formulations were produced (one control with a commercial mixture of passion fruit flavor and color, and two with 0.2% lutein nanoemulsion and 50% sugar reduction, one with 0.5% citric acid). The quantification of lutein in the ice cream was performed by HPLC and the physicochemical analyzes of the ice cream were performed according to the methodology established by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Data on overrun, pH, first drop, melting rate and instrumental colorimetry were also obtained. Lutein was stable in ice cream for 180 days (>92% preserved lutein). The ice creams presented values of overrun, which is the incorporation of air during the ice cream production process, between 17 and 19%. The melt rate and first drop values differed from the control ice cream for the ice creams containing encapsulated lutein, exhibiting significant differences, showing a higher melting rate for the enriched ice creams. The incorporation of lutein nanoemulsion did not influence the pH stability over the storage time. In turn, it was observed, in the results of instrumental color, that the values of b*, which represents the blue-yellow coordinates, the treatments with nanoencapsulated lutein were closer to yellow than the control, as well as for the angle de Hue, that the treatments with the nanoemulsion are closer to the yellow hue (80°). However, the control ice cream exhibited a greater stability in relation to instrumental color during the 180 days of storage. Finally, the sensory analysis data (acceptation tests and CATA) showed that the lutein-enriched ice cream formulations was highly accepted in terms of color, aroma, flavor, texture and overall acceptation with scores higher than 6.8 (“I liked it a lot”). AS for the sensory attributes of the CATA test (Check All That Apply) the attributes most cited by the tasters were creamy appearance, creamy flavor and yellowish color. Therefore, the incorporation of lutein nanoemulsion proved to be a fully feasible option, from a technological point of view, resulting in an ice cream with natural coloring and possible relevant biological activity.