Functional Ingredients Based on Jerusalem Artichoke: Technological Properties, Antioxidant Activity, and Prebiotic Capacity

Functional ingredients from Jerusalem artichoke (JA) were produced using a 22 experimental design with two factors: “pretreatment” (W: water immersion; P: pressing with citric acid dip) and “drying method” (A: air-drying; F: freeze-drying). Four powders (JAPWA, JAPPA, JAPWF, and JAPPF) were analyzed for technological properties, inulin, phenolic, and flavonoid content, in vitro prebiotic activity score (PAS), and antioxidant capacity. Pretreatment influenced inulin content. JAPPF exhibited the highest PAS value (1.12 ± 0.08), whereas JAPWA presented the lowest (0.58 ± 0.04). These differences could be attributed to the influence of polyphenol content, as the freeze-dried powders retained more than twice the concentration due to the effect of low process temperatures, which usually protect phenolic compounds. Using a more cost-effective alternative, JAPPA exhibited better technological properties as well as higher inulin content and PAS than JAPWA.