Compendium of the most significant studies with reference to properties, intake, effects.

The addition of Maltodextrin to fruit powder results in a longer preservation of anthocyanins. Time and temperature do not influence the antioxidant activity of the powder or the colour of the reconstituted juice after 150 days (1).

Beta-carotene is important for nutraceuticals while its application is limited by instability. A promising strategy to improve the stability of sensitive nutraceuticals without the addition of synthetic antioxidants is the addition of Maltodextrin, which has shown excellent freeze-thaw stability and provided the best protection for beta-carotene (2).

Maltodextrin has also proved effective in surgery: taking it 2 hours before surgery has proved beneficial for lung function (3).

Birkeland E, Gharagozlian S, Birkeland KI, Valeur J, Måge I, Rud I, Aas AM. Prebiotic effect of inulin-type fructans on faecal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial. Eur J Nutr. 2020 Oct;59(7):3325-3338. doi: 10.1007/s00394-020-02282-5. 

Abstract. Purpose: Compared to a healthy population, the gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes presents with several unfavourable features that may impair glucose regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prebiotic effect of inulin-type fructans on the faecal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in patients with type 2 diabetes....Conclusion: Six weeks supplementation with inulin-type fructans had a significant bifidogenic effect and induced increased concentrations of faecal SCFA, without changing faecal microbial diversity. Our findings suggest a moderate potential of inulin-type fructans to improve gut microbiota composition and to increase microbial fermentation in type 2 diabetes.

Arilla E, Martínez-Monzó J, Codoñer-Franch P, García-Segovia P, Igual M. Stability of vitamin C, carotenoids, phenols, and antioxidant capacity of pasteurised orange juice with resistant maltodextrin storage. Food Sci Technol Int. 2022 Sep 9:10820132221124200. doi: 10.1177/10820132221124200. 

Abstract. Resistant maltodextrin (RMD) was added at increasing concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5% and 7.5%) before pasteurisation to orange juice to analyse its potential protective effect on the health-related bioactive compounds of pasteurised orange juice throughout its storage time. Samples were characterised in terms of basic physico-chemical properties and bioactive compounds at the beginning of the storage. Higher concentrations of RMD proved to better preserve the bioactive compounds of orange juice, thus obtaining a higher antioxidant capacity (AC). Stability of all samples was determined by measuring the same parameters at days 0, 15, 45, 75, 105, 136 and 170 of storage. °Brix and pH were very stable in all samples along storage, while all bioactive compouds had negative variations. However, RMD addition slightly improved ascorbic acid, vitamin C, total phenols, and total carotenoids retention, improving then its AC. This effect was greater in the 5% RMD-added samples. All bioactive compounds showed a positive Pearson's correlation coefficient with AC. Colour variations were also measured at days 105 and 170. All samples had a positive variation of all colour parameters, being this clearer at day 170. This work enlights the potential functionality of RMD to better preserve the health-related compounds of pasteurised orange juice.

Cupone IE, Sansone A, Marra F, Giori AM, Jannini EA. Orodispersible Film (ODF) Platform Based on Maltodextrin for Therapeutical Applications. Pharmaceutics. 2022 Sep 22;14(10):2011. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102011.

Abstract. Orodispersible film (ODF) is a new dosage form that disperses rapidly in the mouth without water or swallowing. The main ingredient of an ODF is a polymer that can be both of natural or synthetic origin. Maltodextrin is a natural polymer, mainly used in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields. This review aims to examine the literature regarding ODFs based on maltodextrin as the platform for developing new products for therapeutical application. ODFs based on maltodextrin contain plasticizers that enhance their flexibility and reduce their brittleness. Surfactants; fillers, such as homopolymer and copolymer of vinylacetate; flavour and sweetener were introduced to improve ODF characteristics. Both water-soluble and insoluble APIs were introduced up to 100 mg per dosage unit. The solvent casting method and hot-melt extrusion are the most useful techniques for preparing ODFs. In particular, the solvent casting method allows manufacturing processes to be developed from a lab scale to an industrial scale. ODFs based on maltodextrin are characterized in terms of mechanical properties, dissolution rate, taste and stability. ODFs made of maltodextrin, developed by IBSA, were tested in vivo to evaluate their bioequivalence and efficacy and were demonstrated to be a valid alternative to the marketed oral dosage forms.

Lajoie C, Doyen A, Feutry P, Gagnon D, Brisson G. Impact of emulsifiers for the nanoencapsulation with maltodextrin of cannabis oil by spray drying on the physicochemical properties and bioaccessibility of cannabinoids. Food Funct. 2022 Oct 3;13(19):10320-10332. doi: 10.1039/d2fo01591a. 

Abstract. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of various emulsifiers, namely whey protein isolate (WPI), soy protein isolate (SPI), and Tween 80 (Tw), on their ability to encapsulate cannabis oil with maltodextrin as the wall material. The physicochemical properties of the powder, the stability of the cannabinoids, and their bioaccessibility during static in vitro digestion were examined. The average diameter of fat globules in liquid nanoemulsions was 170, 259, and 95 nm for WPI, SPI, and Tw, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency was high for protein emulsifiers (>95%) compared to Tw (∼16%). Upon powder reconstitution in water, the emulsified fat droplets remained stable for WPI (176 nm); however, higher fat globule size (diameters of 346 nm and 210 nm) was observed for SPI and Tw powders, respectively. All oil powders had high solubility (>97%). The peroxide value (PV) showed nearly a fourfold increase for the oil extracted from the powder than the initial PV of bulk oil (5.2 mEq). However, UPLC-TUV analysis of the main cannabinoids (CBD, THC, and CBN) indicated that there is no significant difference between the various formulations and the bulk oil, except for lower Tw. The in vitro digestion model results showed higher bioaccessibility of the cannabinoids for Tw (∼53%) than for proteins (WPI ∼ 7% and SPI ∼ 10%). These findings suggest that the emulsifiers used for spray drying nanoencapsulation of cannabis oil have an impact on the encapsulation efficiency and cannabinoid bioaccessibility, highlighting the importance of choosing adequate emulsifiying agents for their optimal oral delivery.

References____________________________________________________________________

(1) Moser P, Telis VR, de Andrade Neves N, García-Romero E, Gómez-Alonso S, Hermosín-Gutiérrez I.  Storage stability of phenolic compounds in powdered BRS Violeta grape juice microencapsulated with protein and maltodextrin blends.  Food Chem. 2017 Jan

(2) Zhang J, Zhang X, Wang X, Huang Y, Yang B, Pan X, Wu C.  The Influence of Maltodextrin on the Physicochemical Properties and Stabilization of Beta-carotene Emulsions.  AAPS PharmSciTech. 2016 Jun

(3) Zani FV, Aguilar-Nascimento JE, Nascimento DB, Silva AM, Caporossi FS, Caporossi C.  Benefits of maltodextrin intake 2 hours before cholecystectomy by laparotomy in respiratory function and functional capacity: a prospective randomized clinical trial.  Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2015 Apr-Jun