Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) is optimizing the technology of microcapsulating green tea extract for the production of functional food products, in particular, beverages that strengthen the immune system and serve as a preventive measure against various diseases.
Today, the current trend in the food industry is the creation of products with high antioxidant activity. Antioxidants slow down oxidative processes in the body and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular, oncological and other diseases. According to Zhibek Baktybekova, a second-year graduate student of the Department of Technology and Organization of Food Production at NSTU-NETI, the task of the study was to create functional drinks based on green tea that will help strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of developing diseases.
"As part of this project, my team and I are developing a technology for microcapsulating green tea extract to produce an effective dietary supplement. It is important to find the optimal ratio of its components to ensure the absorption of antioxidants in the body and protect them from oxidation. The developed additive can become a component of functional food products, for example, beverages. When developing functional drinks using additives, various liquid food bases were tested, including neutral and tart berry drinks. Tart berry drinks were identified as the optimal base, since their pronounced taste effectively masks the bitter and astringent taste of catechins (antioxidants of green tea), which allows the use of higher concentrations of additives without compromising sensory properties," said Zhibek Baktybekova.
According to her, the uniqueness of this development lies in the use of advanced microcapsulation technology for food production. Despite its effectiveness, this technology is not widely used in Russia. Another feature is that when consuming regular green tea, a person receives a very low concentration of antioxidants, and in a functional drink — more than 15% of the daily value.
Currently, the study is at the stage of preclinical testing of the developed samples.
"We hope that our development will help improve the quality of life and health of the population, as well as become the basis for further research in the field of functional nutrition," the student added.