By Dr. Megha Agrawal, Dr. Shyamasri Biswas, Dr.

Kim Van Vliet, Contributing Editors

Vacuum Technology Helps Improve

Antioxidant Capacity
of Bioactive Compounds
for Health Benefits

ioactive compounds such as polyphenols possess anti-oxidant or

anti-aging properties. Anti-oxidant roles of resveratrol, an important
polyphenolic compound, are well-known.
It is believed that an excess of reactive
oxygen species (ROS) results in the aging
process along with numerous other cellular response pathways that may lead to
the cellular death. An imbalance between
ROS production and antioxidant defenses result in oxidative stress. It is therefore
considered that modulating the antioxidant enzymes could lead to reduced oxidative stress. Previous research indicated
that resveratrol can effectively and directly scavenge ROS. In addition to scavenging ROS, exogenously administered resveratrol can modulate the expression and
activity of antioxidant enzymes. These
include superoxide dismutase (SOD),
glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase, and through transcriptional regulation via nuclear factor E2-related factor
2 (Nrf2), activator proteins (AP)-1, forkhead box O (FOXO), and SP-1 or even
through enzymatic modification. Resveratrol-based skin care formulation has also
been proposed.

Some bioactive fruits such as sour

cherries and grapes contain significant
amount of antioxidant resveratrol and
they are considered beneficial to health
especially in fighting against cancer,
stroke and various neurological disorders. Such bioactive products need to
be processed and preserved effectively
so that they do not lose their properties.
The important anti-oxidative properties
of these fruits have been investigated using vacuum technology based processes
to enhance the anti-oxidative properties
for these bioactive fruits and other compounds [1]. In this regard, the researchers
investigated vacuum-microwave assisted
processing of sour cherries, strawberries,
apple, ginger and many other fruits and
vegetables to increase the anti-oxidative
properties. The effect of microwave power during the vacuummicrowave drying
on sour cherries in terms of drying kinetics, including the temperature profile of
dried material, as well as on some quality
factors of the finished product including
phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and color were investigated. Vacuum-microwave assisted processing was
found to be much more effective than the

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heat pump drying and the conventional

convective drying that resulted in an attractive color with enhanced anti-oxidant
capacity at a specific dose of microwave
power (Figure 1) [1, 2].
In another work, the application of vacuum microwaves on the bioactive compounds, color, and antioxidant activity
of strawberry fruit was investigated [3].
The researchers evaluated the application
of vacuum-microwave drying (240, 360,
and 480 W) in the production process
of dehydrated strawberry and then compared the contrast and quality of these
dehydrated strawberries in terms of their
polyphenol compounds, and concluded
that vacuum-microwave drying especially carried out at the microwave power of
240 W can produce high-quality bioactive products with high anti-oxidant activities [3] (Figure 2).
Vacuum Impregnation method was employed to modify health-promoting properties of bioactive fruits and vegetables
with enhanced anti-oxidant properties [3].
Improvement of health-promoting properties of the bioactive products or facilitating production of functional foods can be
achieved by vacuum impregnation meth1

Figure 1. Image of fresh samples, heat pump (HP), convective vacuum microwave (C/VM), and heat pump vacuum-microwave (HP/VM) dried
apple cubes. [Source: Food Bioprocess Technol. 2014 April; 7(4): 975-989].

od. Vacuum impregnation is essentially

a non-destructive method that introduces
a solution with a specific composition to
the porous matrices of bioactive fruits and
vegetables. Mechanically induced differences in pressure result in the mass transfer in this method that makes it possible to
fill large volumes of intercellular spaces in
tissues of fruit and vegetable. The resulting bioactive products are with modified
physico-chemical and sensory properties
[4]. The free spaces and capillaries of
the material are filled during the process
of vacuum impregnation that occurs due
to a mechanically induced difference in
pressure. The process of vacuum impregnation comprises two stages: The phase
of reduced pressure and the phase of atmospheric pressure. Impregnation of the
material happens as a consequence of two
phenomena: hydrodynamic mechanism
(HDM) and deformationrelaxation phenomena (DRP), which lead to the filling

of intracellular capillaries (Figure 3) [4].

In addition to enhancing the anti-oxidant properties, it was shown that the
production of novel functional bioactive
compounds by using vacuum impregnation method can introduce several health
beneficial elements such as probiotics,
vitamins, biologically active compounds
and minerals to the fruit and vegetable
matrix. Probiotics are selected strains of
living bacteria, which produces an advantageous effect on human health after consumption. Probiotic bacteria have been
used in food to provide health benefits
for several decades [4]. The appropriate
functioning of the human organism requires appropriate presence of minerals in
the human body. The effect of inadequate
intake of minerals can be devastating that
can result in development of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, diabetes or certain cancers. Most fruits and vegetables
are characterized by low contents of min-

erals, e.g., calcium, zinc and iron. Enrichment of fruits and vegetables with minerals, frequently including calcium, has
been recently considered as a process to
produce food with an enhanced nutritive
and health-promoting value and that can
be achieved by the vacuum impregnation
method. The introduction of vitamin E to
fruits and vegetables is also possible [4].
Vacuum Impregnation was employed
to do optimization of bioactive fortification in apple snacks. The authors showed
significantly enhanced antioxidant properties of apple upon the application of
vacuum impregnation method [5]. Research has shown that apple, in addition
to many health-enhancing anti-oxidant
properties contains phytonutrients including dietary fiber, flavonoids and phenolic
acids that provide demonstrated health
benefits beyond basic nutrition and can
reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases.
The t-resveratrol glucoside concentration

Figure 2. Microwave vacuum plant. [Source: pub_mw-vacuum-drying_engl.doc Seite:1. Microwave Vacuum Drying for advanced Process Technology.]

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November 2015 Vacuum Technology & Coating

Figure 3. Schematic illustrations of the hydrodynamic mechanism (HDM) and deformation-relaxation phenomena (DRP) that contribute to the filling of ideal capillary with liquid during
vacuum impregnation. (tTime; tTime required for internal and external pressure become
equal; t1Time of vacuum applied (vacuum time); t2Time of atmospheric pressure (relaxation time); p0Initial pressure; p1Vacuum pressure; p2Final pressure; piInternal pressure; peExternal pressure; pcCapillary pressure; patAtmospheric pressure; Vg0Initial
volume of gas trapped into the capillary; Vg1A, Vg1B, Vg2Volume of gas trapped into the capillary after each step of vacuum impregnation; Xc1Increment of volume of gas trapped into the
capillary as result of DRP; XcDecrement of volume of gas trapped into the capillary as result
of DRP; Xv1Partial decrement of volume of gas trapped into the capillary as result of HDM;
XvDecrement of volume of gas trapped into the capillary as result of HDM) [Source: Int J Mol
Sci. 2014 Sep; 15(9): 1657716610].

in the vacuum impregnated treated, dried

apple slices were used as a specific bioactive marker for the fortification using
grape juice during optimization of the
used vacuum processing conditions [4]. In
another work, dried apples enriched with
mandarin juice by vacuum impregnation
improved antioxidant capacity and decrease inflammation in obese children [5].
The vacuum impregnation technology allowed the introduction of mandarin
juice into the structural porous matrix of
apples. The application of a homogenization operation to citrus juices decreased
the particle size and increased the stability of the functional compounds present
in the juice [6]. Further, the researchers
observed that the vacuum impregnated
bioactive apples resulted in an increase in
HDL good cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 and a decrease in triglycerides and
apolipoprotein B in the obese children [6].
The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.)
fruit contains a higher amount of antioxidant in the form of nutrients and bioactive

compounds. Researchers investigated the

influences of vacuum drying method in
terms of changing of some nutritional

characteristics, antioxidant properties,

and color of the strawberry tree [7]. The
authors demonstrated that the vacuum
drying process can significantly enhance
the color, antioxidant activity and nutritional characteristics of strawberry tree
fruit. In dried fruits, the reducing sugar
content and the minerals content were
found to be higher than in fresh berries,
because of the increased dry matter content [7]. In another work, Vacuum drying
optimization and simulation as a preservation method of antioxidants in apple
pomace was shown. Vacuum drying is
an efficient technique, when processing
temperature-sensitive materials such as
polyphenols. Vacuum drying optimum
conditions and lowest energy consumption were investigated by surface response methodology and process simulation in Aspen Plus. Temperature, time
and vacuum pressure effects on moisture,
effective diffusivity, polyphenols and antioxidant capacity were evaluated [8].
Effects of various vacuum drying techniques were studied to investigate the retention of antioxidant activities of Saskatoon berries [9]. Researchers showed the
effect of concentration (mg mL-1) of the
extract on the inhibition of DPPH radical (%) (Figure 4). Their results showed
that the % inhibition of DPPH radical increased with the increase of the concentration (mg mL-1) of the extracts [9].

Figure 4. Effect of concentrations (mg mL-1) of Saskatoon berry extracts on the % inhibition of
(2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical for the different vacuum drying systems tested
[Source: International Journal of Food Studies, 2013 Volume 2 pages 224-237].

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Concluding Remarks
Vacuum technology has proven to be
very effective in tailoring and engineering
the bioactive compounds for anti-oxidant
and other health beneficial properties for
a number of advanced medical applications. A multidisciplinary collaboration
is required between the biotechnologists,
food and agriculture scientists, vacuum
technologists and experts in biomedical
engineering to develop and optimize new
processes for bioactive compounds.
References for further reading
1. Aneta Wojdyo et. al. Effect of Convective
and VacuumMicrowave Drying on the
Bioactive Compounds, Color, and Antioxidant Capacity of Sour Cherries. Food Bioprocess Technol. (2014) 7:829841.
2. Chien Hwa Chong et. al. Combined Drying
of Apple Cubes by Using of Heat Pump,
Vacuum-Microwave, and Intermittent
Techniques. Food Bioprocess Technol.
(2014) 7(4):975-989.
3. 
Aneta Wojdyo, Adam Figiel and Jan
Oszmiaski. Effect of Drying Methods with

the Application of Vacuum Microwaves on

the Bioactive Compounds, Color, and Antioxidant Activity of Strawberry Fruits. J. Agric. Food Chem. (2009) 57(4):13371343.
4. 
Elbieta Radziejewska-Kubzdela, Ra
Biegaska-Marecik, and Marcin Kido, Applicability of Vacuum Impregnation to
Modify Physico-Chemical, Sensory and
Nutritive Characteristics of Plant Origin
ProductsA Review. Int J Mol Sci. (2014)
15(9): 1657716610.

8. Almeida-Trasvia, F., et. al. Vacuum Drying Optimization and Simulation as a Preservation Method of Antioxidants in Apple
Pomace. Journal of Food Process Engineering. (2014) 37:575587.
9. Pranabendu Mitra et. al. Effect of drying
techniques on the retention of antioxidant
activities of Saskatoon berries. Int J Food
Std. (2013) 2:224-237.

5. Ajit P. K. Joshi, Handunkutti Pathirannehalage Vasantha Rupasinghe. Optimization

of Bioactive Fortification in Apple Snacks
through Vacuum Impregnation Using Response Surface Methodology. Food and
Nutrition Sci. (2010) 1(9):45-52.
6. Pilar Codoer-Franch et. al. Dried apples
enriched with mandarin juice by vacuum
impregnation improve antioxidant capacity
and decrease inflammation in obese children, Nutr Hosp. (2013) 28(3):1177-1183.
7. H. Hlya Orak, et. al. Antioxidant activity,
some nutritional and colour properties of
vacuum dried strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo l.) fruit. Acta Sci. Pol., Technol. Aliment.
(2011) 10(3):327-338.

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November 2015 Vacuum Technology & Coating