Broccoli, Artichoke, Carob and Apple By-Products as a Source of Soluble Fiber: How It Can Be Affected by Enzymatic Treatment with Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, Viscozyme® L and Celluclast® 1.5 L

Dietary fiber (DF), and especially soluble dietary fiber (SDF), is a nutrient of particular interest today because of its anti-inflammatory role and its ability to reduce cardiovascular risk. Therefore, the enhancement of SDF in foods using different techniques has become a promising field of research. In order to prove the possibility of increasing this SDF content, the effects of different commercial enzymes (Pectinex^® Ultra SP-L, Viscozyme^® L and Celluclast^® 1.5 L) were tested on a variety of carob (CE), artichoke (ARE), apple (APE) and broccoli (BE) by-product extracts. Enzymatic treatment significantly affected SDF content in all by-products, showing the greatest increases for CE, ARE and APE using Celluclast^® 1.5 L, while Viscozyme^® L obtained the best results after application in BE. On the other hand, positive results were reported in the solubility, WHC and FAC of the by-products due to the enzymatic treatment, being increased in all extracts analyzed. Moreover, a general increase in antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ABTS and DPPH) was observed after enzymatic treatment. Finally, high yields were obtained after the application of the enzymatic processes, reaching values of 80-85% for each food by-product. These results evidenced a potential revalorization of carob, artichoke, apple and broccoli by-products after enzymatic treatment, improving its nutritional and physicochemical properties, revealing a possible application as a higher value-added ingredient.