Escudo de la República de Colombia
Accesibility Panel

Nanofibrous Ultrafiltration Membranes

for Fruit Juice Debittering

Needs Addressed

Citrus juices, especially grapefruit juice, often have a bitter taste due to compounds such as naringin, narirutin, and limonin. This bitterness limits consumer acceptance. The technology offers a solution to selectively reduce juice bitterness, improving its sensory profile and increasing market appeal without requiring thermal processes that could alter the juice's nutritional quality.

 

About the Technology

The technology utilizes nylon-6 nanofibrous membranes obtained through electrospinning for the filtration of citrus juices, such as grapefruit juice, to reduce bitterness. These membranes exhibit high selectivity in adsorbing bitterness-inducing compounds, including glycosylated flavonoids (naringin and narirutin) and bitter terpenoids like limonin, without significantly affecting beneficial compounds such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The filtration process is non-thermal, preserving the juice’s nutrients and antioxidants while effectively reducing bitterness without compromising nutritional quality.

 

Keywords

Nanofibrous Membranes, Electrospinning, Juice Filtration, Debittering, Limonene, Naringin, Narirutin, Grapefruit Juice, Nylon-6 Membranes, Clarified Beverages

Market Opportunities

Citrus Juice Industry: The process has direct applications in the production of clarified and less bitter citrus juices, increasing their commercial value.

Functional Beverages: With the growing focus on health and wellness, juices with reduced bitterness can be more appealing to the functional beverage market.

Product Enhancement: Commercial UHT and pasteurized juices can also benefit from this technology to improve their sensory and nutritional quality.

Advantages

Selective Bitterness Reduction: The technology enables the near-complete removal of bitter compounds, such as limonene, while preserving the integrity of nutrients.

Nutrient Preservation: As a non-thermal process, it retains the juice’s antioxidants and vitamin C.

Filtration Efficiency: Nylon-6 nanofiber membranes exhibit high selective adsorption capacity, significantly reducing bitterness.

Enhanced Sensory Acceptance: The bitterness reduction improves the overall flavor perception, making the juice more enjoyable for consumers.

Scalability: The technology has proven effective in pilot-scale juice filtration and has the potential for industrial applications.

 

Maturity level

TRL4

 

Contact

Prof. Carlos Alberto Fuenmayor Bobadilla

cafuenmayorb@unal.edu.co

+57-6013165000 ext. 19211