Pea protein isolate and inulin as plant-based biomacromolecules for reduction of sugar uptake in osmotic dehydration

Concerns have been raised about the potential health risks associated with elevated sugar levels in food products of osmotic dehydration (OD). To address this issue, a new strategy was proposed and validated in this study. Pea protein isolate (PPI) and inulin were introduced into osmotic solutions to reduce sucrose uptake in apple slices. Apple samples were subjected to OD (40%wt sucrose) at 40? with different concentrations of PPI or inulin. Three parameters, including performance ratio (Pr), dehydration efficiency index (DEI), and sucrose gain rate were used to evaluate the effect of PPI and inulin addition on reducing sucrose uptake. The result showed that sucrose content in apple tissues after OD for 4 h was 51.79 mg/100 mg dry basis when treated by a sucrose solution alone, but was reduced to 43.43 mg/100 mg dry basis and 46.12 mg/100 mg dry basis when 1.5%wt inulin and 3% wt PPI was added, respectively.Practical applicationsThe use of low-temperature and phase-change-free osmotic dehydration methods for the preservation of fruits is advantageous due to low energy consumption, better quality retention, and ease of operation. It has been used to produce intermediate moisture foods or as a pretreatment for other drying methods. However, the most widely used osmotic agents often contain high calories because carbohydrates have become the most popular osmotic agents. This has promoted the exploration of natural methods to reduce sugar uptake while maintaining the drying characteristic of osmotic dehydration. This study was undertaken to investigate the use of two biomacromolecules, that is, pea protein isolate and inulin as a simple yet effective means for achieving sugar reduction. The finding of this work has demonstrated that both methods can significantly reduce sucrose content in dried apple slices, thus confirming the potential for practical applications.