Production of Cornstarch Granules Enriched with Quercetin Liposomes by Aggregation of Particulate Binary Mixtures Using High Shear Process.

Liposomes are colloidal structures capable of encapsulating, protecting, and releasing hydrophobic bioctives, as flavonoids. Quercetin is a flavonoid with high antioxidant activity that provides benefits to health. The wet-agglomeration processes in high-shear equipment are useful to produce granules from binary mixtures, obtaining a powder with homogeneous composition and without segregation or elutriation of fine particles. In this study, the binary mixtures containing microparticles of native cornstarch and nanoparticles of quercetin liposomes were aggregated in high-shear batches, using maltodextrin solution as binder agent. The cornstarch was enriched by agglomeration with 8%, 22%, and 30% (w/w) of quercetin-loaded lyophilized liposomes and the physical properties were evaluated. The moisture of all formulations showed similar values ranging from 4.42% to 4.57%. The values of hygroscopicity (g adsorbed water/100 g of dry matter) indicated the lyophilized liposomes were able to decrease the capacity of the agglomerated cornstarch to absorb water, decreasing the possibility of microbiological contamination. The addition of quercetin-loaded lyophilized liposomes improved the flowability and turned the powder (agglomerated cornstarch) less cohesive. The pasting properties of enriched agglomerated cornstarch decreased the pasting temperature about 10 °C, and the cornstarch agglomerated with 8% (w/w) of quercetin-loaded lyophilized liposomes showed no significance difference in the peak viscosity. Agglomeration of cornstarch with more than 8% (w/w) lyophilized liposomes decreased the tendency of starch to retrograde, which is very interesting for food products which requires low levels of retrogradation of granules for their stability.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study is an unprecedent association of 2 technologies, nanoencapsulation and wet agglomeration, here used together to enrich cornstarch with quercetin. The agglomeration process was used to obtain granules of cornstarch, an ingredient extremely used in the food industry, enriched with quercetin-loaded lyophilized liposomes. The goals were both the improvement of the nutritional quality and the increase of the added value of the cornstarch.