DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL STRAWBERRY TREE FRUIT-BASED

PRODUCT BY 3D FOOD PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

Anica BEBEK MARKOVINOVIĆ1*, Dora BRDAR1, Irena BRČIĆ KARAČONJI2,3, Karlo JURICA4, Dario LASIĆ5, Predrag PUTNIK6, Tomislav
BOSILJKOV1, Boris DURALIJA7, Danijela BURSAĆ KOVAČEVIĆ1
1Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; * abebekmarkovinovic@pbf.hr;
2Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
3Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, Viktora Cara Emina 5, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia;
4Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, Ulica grada Vukovara 33, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
5Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Mirogojska 16, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
6Department of Food Technology, University North, Trg Dr. Žarka Dolinara 1, 48000 Koprivnica, Croatia;
7 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
1. INTRODUCTION
The strawberry tree fruit (Arbutus unedo L.) has great potential for the development of functional
products due to its high bioactive potential and health promoting characteristics [1]. 3D printing
(3DP) is an additive technology that can be used to produce three-dimensional forms of personalized
food products, while maintaining the nutritional and biological value of the product [2]. Since fruit
has a high-water content, it is necessary to add hydrocolloids or additives that allow the formation of
a homogeneous mixture suitable for 3DP.
The objective of this research was to investigate the potential of 3DP in the production of
strawberry tree fruit-based functional foods.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Figure 1. 3D printed functional product

The formulation for 3DP was developed by separately adding different percentages (4, 6 and 8%) of wheat and corn starch. Two programs (Program 1 vs.
Program 2) with different printing parameters: printing speed (8000 mm min-1 vs. 14000 mm min-1), mixture flow (1.4 vs. 1.65), first-layer-nozzle height (6
mm vs. 4.5 mm), and line thickness (3.5 vs. 3.4 mm) were tested for printability of a strawberry tree fruit-based formulation. The final 3D printed product
looked like a heart printed in three layers (Figure 1), in which total phenolic content (TPC), chlorophyll a (CHL A) and chlorophyll b (CHL B), carotenoids
(CAR) and antioxidant capacity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH; and ferric reducing antioxidant power, FRAP methods) were determined
spectrophotometrically [3-5].
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The starch type had a statistically significant effects on the content of all bioactive components and antioxidant capacity, except for two chlorophylls. The
proportion of starch had a statistically significant effects on all observed components and antioxidant capacities. The dependence of antioxidant capacity
on the proportion of starch carrier was expected. Numerous scientific studies have proven the correlation between high content of bioactive compounds
and high antioxidant activity, indicating that changes in the proportion of bioactive compounds will be reflected in changes in the antioxidant capacity of
the samples [6]. When starch content was increased, there was a decrease in TPC, pigments, and DPPH antioxidant capacity, which is in line with
expectations, considering that blends with higher starch carrier content contained a lower amounts of strawberry tree fruit, which is a source of TPC and
pigments. The 3DP programs showed no statistically significant effect on TPC, while they showed a significant influence on pigments. A significant effect of
the 3DP program on DPPH antioxidant capacity was not observed, while the FRAP method gave opposite results. In figures 2-5. the influences of starch
type, starch level and 3D program on TPC, CHL A, CHL B, CAR and antioxidant capacity DPPH and FRAP were presented.
680 1,8
Total phenolic content (mg 100 g-1)

1,6
660
1,4
640 1,2
mg 100 g-1

620 1
600 0,8
0,6
580
0,4
560
0,2
540 0
Corn Wheat 4% 6% 8% Program Program Corn Wheat 4% 6% 8% Program 1 Program 2
1 2
Starch type Starch level 3DP program
Starch type Starch level 3DP program CHL A CHL B CAR
Figure 2. The influence of starch type, Figure 3. The influence of starch type, starch
starch level and 3DP program on TPC level and 3DP program on CHL A, CHL B and CAR
68,5 1,65
68
1,60
g-1)

67,5
DPPH (mg trolox 100g-1)

67
FRAP (g trolox 100

1,55
66,5
66
1,50
65,5
65
1,45
64,5
64 1,40
63,5 Corn Wheat 4% 6% 8% Program 1 Program 2
Corn Wheat 4% 6% 8% Program Program
Starch type Starch level 3DP program
1 2 Arbutus unedo L.
Starch type Starch level 3DP program Figure 5. The influence of starch type,
Figure 4. The influence of starch type, starch level and 3DP program on FRAP
5. REFERENCES
starch level and 3DP program on DPPH 1. Bebek Markovinović, A., Brčić Karačonji, I., Jurica, K., Lasić, D., Skendrović Babojelić, M., Duralija, B., Šic Žlabur, J., Putnik, P., and
Bursać Kovačević, D. (2022). Strawberry tree fruits and leaves (Arbutus unedo L.) as raw material for sustainable functional food
4. CONCLUSION processing: A Review. Horticulturae 8.
2. Tomašević, I., Putnik, P., Valjak, F., Pavlić, B., Šojić, B., Bebek Markovinović, A., and Bursać Kovačević, D. (2021). 3D printing as novel
Both starches are well suitable as carrier materials and can be tool for fruit-based functional food production. Current Opinion in Food Science 41, 138-145.

used for the preparation of 3DP products, as well 3DP can be 3. Yuan, B., Danao, M.-G.C., Stratton, J.E., Weier, S.A., Weller, C.L., and Lu, M. (2018). High pressure processing (HPP) of aronia berry
purée: Effects on physicochemical properties, microbial counts, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant capacities. Innovative Food
successfully used for the production of a strawberry tree fruit- Science & Emerging Technologies 47, 249-255.
4. Lichtenthaler, H.K., and Buschmann, C. (2001). Chlorophylls and carotenoids: Measurement and characterization by UV-VIS
based functional products. spectroscopy. Current Protocols in Food Analytical Chemistry 1, F4.3.1-F4.3.8.
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Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Croatian Science Foundation through oxidative potential of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) extracts in bovine muscle homogenates. Meat Science 98, 828-834.
the funding of the “Hurdle Technology and 3D Printing for Sustainable 6. Dimitrova, L., Petrova, M., Geneva, M., Stancheva, I.R.A., and Zayova, E.L.Y. (2013). Antioxidant activity of in vitro propagated Stevia
Fruit Juice Processing and Preservation” project, number “IP-2019-04- rebaudiana Bertoni plants of different origins. Turkish Journal of Biology.
2105”.
V. Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing, Zagreb, Croatia, June 18-21, 2023