Osmotic dehydration of mango with impregnation of inulin and piquin-pepper oleoresin

- This study explores novel methodology for the enrichment and improvement of fruits.
- The content of bioactive compounds in processed mango slices was improved.
- This methodology improves the antiproliferative effect of ethanolic mango extract.
- The use of an emulsion as osmotic agent improves the functional properties of mango.

This study assesses the effect of the osmotic dehydration (OD) of mango slices in an emulsion (600 g solids kg−1 emulsion) prepared with inulin and piquin-pepper oleoresin. In addition, mango was osmodehydrated in a sucrose solution for comparative purposes. The influence on water loss (WL) and solids gain (SG) during the OD process was analyzed. Furthermore, color change, oil gain, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, and total free phenolic content, as well as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylnydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and the antiproliferative effect on breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 in mango slices after 120 min, were studied. Samples treated with the emulsion at 40 °C showed highest oil gain and bioactive compound retention. In addition, their ethanolic extract exhibited significant radical scavenging activity and antiproliferative effect against the cancer cell line tested, compared with that of flesh- and sucrose-treated sample extracts, in a dose-dependent manner. Images of mango slices treated in emulsion revealed the presence of inulin microcapsules with oil embedded in mango microstructure. Based on these results, this technique can be used to impregnate mango slices with oils and polymers with functional attributes to produce nutritious foods, which may serve as a potential source of phenolic with anticancer activity.