Cyclodextrins - novel solutions for the food industry

Some food ingredients have high nutritional value but their application in food is affected by poor taste, how the stability of oil-in-water emulsions can be improved and how to increase the utilization of functional ingredients in food, these problems are often encountered in food production. Through research, scientists have found that the use of cyclodextrins can effectively solve these problems.

Cyclodextrins are cyclic sugar molecules that are categorized into α-cyclodextrins, β-cyclodextrins and γ-cyclodextrins based on the number of glucose units. Humans enzymatically extract cyclodextrins from plant materials such as corn and potatoes. The uniqueness of the cyclodextrin molecule lies in its ring-like structure, in which the cylindrical cavity in between can encapsulate some other substances that are mainly hydrophobic. Cyclodextrins can thus bind different material components together, release active substances, and stabilize sensitive substances or interfaces. Cyclodextrins can therefore be very useful in the food industry. They can mask off-flavors, stabilize sensitive substances such as vitamins, or improve the bioavailability of certain active substances. In addition, cyclodextrins can be used as soluble fibers, and their emulsifying properties can also be exploited.

For example, oil-in-water emulsions are commonly used in the food industry, e.g. in salad dressings, mayonnaise, dessert creams, etc., which contain both water and oil phases. Conventional emulsifiers based on animal ingredients have some shortcomings; they are sensitive to heat and acid in some cases and should not be stored for long periods of time. Cyclodextrins are lipophilic on the inside and hydrophilic on the outside of the cyclic molecule, and fatty acid residues can "burrow" into cyclodextrins, stabilizing the interface between the aqueous and oily phases of the emulsion, which would otherwise be unmixable.