Glucose oxidase (GOX) is widely used in bakery applications to improve dough rheology and bread quality. However, its direct addition to formulations limits its functionality due to premature enzymatic activity. This study used electrospraying to encapsulate GOX using chia mucilage and sodium alginate as biopolymeric wall materials. Three drying methods—critical point drying (CPD), Lyophilization/freeze-drying (LC), and oven drying (OD)—were compared to evaluate their impact on encapsulation efficiency (EE), enzymatic activity retention, and microstructural integrity. Our findings reveal that CPD preserved the porous structure of the microcapsules, minimizing enzymatic leakage and yielding the highest EE (70%). In contrast, LC induced ice crystal formation, disrupting the polymer network and leading to a moderate EE (27.43%), whereas OD resulted in extensive capsule shrinkage, causing significant enzyme loss (57.1%). The release kinetics of GOX during mixing were best described by the Korsmeyer–Peppas model (R² = 0.999), indicating a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism influenced by polymer relaxation. These results demonstrate that drying technique selection plays a crucial role in encapsulated enzymes’ stability and release behavior, providing new insights for optimizing enzyme delivery in bakery applications.

This study aimed to develop a functional powder using whey and milk matrices, leveraging the protective capacity of chia–alginate hydrogels and the advantages of electrohydrodynamic spraying (EHDA), a non-thermal technique suitable for encapsulating probiotic cells under stress conditions commonly encountered in food processing. A hydrogel matrix composed of chia seed mucilage and sodium alginate was used to form a biopolymeric network that protected probiotic cells during processing. The encapsulation efficiency reached 99.0 ± 0.01%, and bacterial viability remained above 9.9 log₁₀ CFU/mL after lyophilization, demonstrating the excellent protective capacity of the hydrogel matrix. Microstructural analysis using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed well-retained cell morphology and homogeneous distribution within the hydrogel matrix while, in contrast, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed spherical, porous microcapsules with distinct surface characteristics influenced by the encapsulation method. Encapsulates were incorporated into beverages flavored with red fruits and pear and subsequently freeze-dried. The resulting powders were analyzed for moisture, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, fiber, and color determinations. The results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and response surface methodology, highlighting the impact of ingredient ratios on nutritional composition. Raman spectroscopy identified molecular features associated with casein, lactose, pectins, anthocyanins, and other functional compounds, confirming the contribution of both matrix and encapsulants maintaining the structural characteristics of the product. The presence of antioxidant bands supported the functional potential of the powder formulations. Chia–alginate hydrogels effectively encapsulated L. reuteri, maintaining cell viability and enabling their incorporation into freeze-dried beverage powders. This approach offers a promising strategy for the development of next-generation functional food gels with enhanced probiotic stability, nutritional properties, and potential application in health-promoting dairy systems.

The identification of natural yellow dyes in ancient textiles is complicated, regardless of whether destructive or non-destructive techniques are used. The main limitation is the need for sampling, followed by deterioration and interference by the materials used in consolidation and restoration processes. In addition, different yellow dye sources share the same main fluorophores or components such as luteolin, kaempferol, and quercetin-based chromophores. We propose a minimally invasive methodology to identify sweet-scented marigold (Tagetes lucida), zacatlaxcalli (Cuscuta tinctoria), and weld (Reseda luteola). This methodology was tested on yellow wool samples that were dyed in an artisan workshop in the last 3 to 10 years. Another two samples of yellow wool fibres were obtained from the textile collection of the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM), micro-Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and variable pressure environmental scanning electron microscopy (VP-ESEM) were used to analyse the samples. The CLSM results showed that dyes are absorbed into the matrix of the fibres. The wool and dyes presented different emission spectra, which can be associated with the main groups of autofluorescent compounds in plants. The FTIR-ATR results supported the proteinaceous origin of the fibres, and the chemical composition and molecular structure of the autofluorescence phytocompounds were identified by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The findings indicate that the proposed methodology is adequate for identifying natural yellow dyes in wool fibres and can be applied to cultural heritage textiles.