Production and spouted bed drying of acerola juice containing oligosaccharides

• Acerola juice was used as substrate for oligosaccharides synthesis.
• External sugars were added to the juice due to its low sugar content.
• High yields on oligosaccharides were obtained.
• Oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization up to 12 were obtained.
• Acerola juice was dried at spouted bed at low temperature (60 °C).

In the present study, acerola (Malpighiae marginata) juice was used as substrate for oligosaccharides synthesis by the dextransucrase acceptor reaction. Due to the low sugar content of acerola, external sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) were added to the juice and the oligosaccharides synthesis was carried out using a central composite rotated design. High oligosaccharide and low dextran yields were obtained indicating that the acceptor reaction had occurred. The sugar conversion into oligosaccharides was also high (>60%) and oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization up to 12 were obtained. The prebiotic juice was dried in a spouted bed using maltodextrin as carrier. The powder dried at 60 °C showed low hygroscopicity (7.90%), low moisture (1.91%) and low water activity (0.18).