Effect of different concentrations of pulverized mesocarp of Citrus paradisi Macf on the morphology and glass transition temperature of spray-dried lemon juice powder.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of pulverized mesocarp of Citrus paradisi Macf as a drying aid, on morphology, particle size and glass transition temperature of spray-dried lemon juice powder. Five concentrations of grapefruit mesocarp (0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%, 1.6% and 2.0% (w/w)) and maltodextrin DE 10 (1.2%, w/w) were evaluated as encapsulant agents. The obtained data were evaluated by one-way ANOVA using Statistix version 8.0. For the means separation, the Tukey's test was applied with a 95% reliability. The morphology of the particles was described. According to the results, by applying different levels of coating agent in lemon juices, powder particles with different sizes (from 3.07 to 6.20 μm) and shapes (spherical, irregular and shrunken or reduced) are obtained; however, their glass transition temperature is not modified, finding values between 37.43 and 38.64°C.