Liofilização de produtos aquáticos: tendências científicas, desafios atuais e influência da geometria de corte na qualidade de filés de tilápia-do-Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

In this review, we synthesize the literature on the freeze-drying of aquatic products to analyze the current state of research on this topic worldwide. In total, 345 publications met the inclusion criteria. It was observed that, from 1958 onwards, the volume of published studies grew considerably, distributed across 181 journals in the areas of Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Food Science and Engineering. The journals Food Chemistry (6.96%), International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2.90%), Journal of Food Science (2.90%), and Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2.90%) concentrated the largest number of publications. The study of freeze-drying in aquatic products has sparked the interest of researchers in 51 countries. However, scientific output has been concentrated in China (21.74%) and the United States (8.70%). In contrast, publications originating from Oceania, Africa, and Central America have remained scarce. Furthermore, although the research covered 12 different types of raw materials, fish (64.68%) was the main target of the investigations. Among the fish species, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was the one with the greatest interest for the application of the freeze-drying method (7.20%) in the studies. There was a predominance of studies involving muscle tissues and their derivatives (41.13%) and protein biomolecules (23.38%). The focus of most of the research was related to the areas of Food Engineering (48.93%) and Analytical Chemistry (17.91%). Predominance observed in most of the countries analyzed. However, although the scope of the studies has changed over the years, most publications have remained in already established areas. Furthermore, research is needed to reduce energy costs and improve equipment, aiming to expand access to freeze-drying in regions where its use is still limited. In addition, it is essential to delve deeper into underexplored fields such as Animal Health and Genetics, as well as investigations into the freeze-drying of aquatic by-products, with the goal of adding value and ensuring the sustainability of the process.