Abstract
This study examines the influence of temperature on the sorption capacity of dietary fiber and the degradation kinetics of vitamin C in aqueous solutions. The interaction between fiber hydration and vitamin C stability is a critical factor in the formulation of functional beverages. The experiments were conducted at two different temperatures (25°C and 40°C) over a period of 90 s, with measurement intervals at 30, 60, and 90 s. Vitamin C degradation was quantified using UV-Vis spectrophotometry at 270 nm, while fiber sorption capacity was determined gravimetrically. The results demonstrated a temperature-dependent degradation of vitamin C. At 25°C, the retention of vitamin C decreased from 95.2% at 30 s to 86.3% at 90 s, whereas at 40°C, the degradation was more pronounced, with retention dropping from 92.7% to 79.9% over the same period. The accelerated degradation at elevated temperatures is attributed to increased oxidative and hydrolytic processes. Simultaneously, the sorption capacity of dietary fiber exhibited a positive correlation with temperature. At 25°C, fiber sorption increased from 0.93 mL/g at 30 s to 2.26 mL/g at 90 s, while at 40°C, the sorption capacity showed a significantly higher increase, ranging from 1.67 mL/g to 3.41 mL/g. The optimal balance between vitamin C retention and fiber hydration was observed at 60 s. At this time point, vitamin C retention was 90.6% at 25°C and 86.1% at 40°C, while sorption capacity reached 1.67 mL/g and 2.73 mL/g, respectively. Beyond 60 s, the rate of fiber hydration showed diminishing returns, whereas vitamin C degradation continued to accelerate, particularly at 40°C. These findings emphasize the necessity of precise temperature control in beverage formulations to maintain the functional benefits of vitamin C while ensuring sufficient fiber hydration. The results suggest that an optimal hydration time of 60 s at 25°C or 30 s at 40°C offers a favorable compromise between vitamin C stability and fiber swelling. Future research should explore encapsulation techniques to mitigate vitamin C degradation in fiber-enriched beverages, as well as evaluate the long-term stability of such formulations under various storage conditions.