Proximate composition, physical, sensory and microbial properties of wheat-hog plum bagasse composite cookies

Flours from Spondias mombin and Spondias tuberosa seeds: Physicochemical characterization, technological properties, and antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic activities

Yellow mombin (Spondias mombin) and Brazil plum (Spondias tuberosa) seeds are byproducts of exploiting their pulp and currently have no relevant food or industrial applications. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical, technological, and functional characteristics of flours obtained from yellow mombin (YMF) and Brazil plum (BPF) residues. The flours presented a high percentage of insoluble fiber (68.8-70.2 g/100 g) and low carbohydrate (2.7-4.0 g/100 g) and caloric (91.9-95.3 kcal) values. The flours showed potential for technological application. In addition, the highest concentration of total phenolic content (31.1-50.2 mg GAE/g) was obtained with 70% acetone, which provided excellent results for antioxidant capacity evaluated by 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (81.0%-89.7%) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (60.6%-69.1%) radical scavenging capacity assays. Flour extracts in 70% acetone also exhibited inhibition of α-amylase (63.3%-78.8%) and amyloglucosidase (63.5%-71.0%). The antibacterial study revealed that extracts inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli, Burkholderia cepacia, and Burkholderia multivorans. Therefore, this study suggests the use of yellow mombin and Brazil plum residues for different food or industrial applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The knowledge gained from this study will open a new approach to add value to yellow mombin and Brazil plum fruit seeds as sources of fiber and bioactive compounds, with promising application in the formulation of functional and nutraceutical products, benefiting both a sustainable environment and a sustainable industry.

Utilising Spent Tea Leaves Powder as Functional Ingredient to Enhance the Quality of Non-Gluten Shortbread Cookies

The increasing prevalence of gluten-related disorders has led to higher consumer demand for convenient, gluten-free bakery products with health-promoting properties. In this study, non-gluten shortbread cookies were incorporated with various kinds of spent (green, oolong, and black) tea leaves powder (STLP) at 8% w/w. Cookies with STLP had significantly higher (p < 0.05) moisture (2.18–2.35%), crude fibre (14.5–14.9%), total dietary fibre (22.38–22.59%), insoluble dietary fibre (15.32–15.83%), soluble dietary fibre (7.06–7.66%), and ash (1.9–2.0%) contents, but were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in carbohydrate (53.2–53.9%) and energy value (426.4–428.2 kcal) compared to control cookies (1.62%; 1.43%; 6.82%; 4.15%; 2.67%; 7.70%; 62.2%; and 457.8 kcal, respectively). The addition of STLP significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) the antioxidant properties of the cookies. Non-gluten shortbread cookies with spent green tea leaves powder (GTC) received the highest (p < 0.05) score for all sensory attributes, including overall acceptability. In addition, the shelf-life quality of the formulated cookie samples in terms of the moisture content, water activity, colour, texture, microbiology, and sensory properties was maintained (p > 0.05) for at least 22 days at 25 °C. STLP, which would have been previously thrown away, could be utilized as a potential functional ingredient to produce non-gluten shortbread cookies with enhanced nutritional, physicochemical, microbiological, sensory, and antioxidative properties.

Sharif MS, Md Nor N. The Physicochemical Analysis and Anthocyanin Level of Malaysian Purple Sweet Potato Cracker

Purple Sweet Potato (PSP) in Malaysia is an abandoned crop. Even though it has various health benefits and nutritional values, consumers, especially Malaysians, still lack purple sweet potato consumption. It has a high dietary fibre content, a low glycemic index, and contains proteins, minerals, polyphenols, and anthocyanin. The National Health Morbidity Survey (Malaysia) in 2019 reported that 94% of Malaysian adults lack fiber consumption in their dietary patterns. As a result, it may become an alternative crop for individuals who consume less nutrients and fibre as a result of dietary choices and health issues. This one-of-a-kind crop also contains anti-oxidative, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anti-obesity, and anti-aging qualities. Due to the lack of a commercial food product based on this crop, it has become an unpopular crop among Malaysians. Purple sweet potato makes only a few Malaysian sweets and traditional snacks. Nonetheless, Malaysian customers continue to ignore it. Thus, Purple Sweet Potato Cracker was made, and a proximate analysis was conducted to examine its physicochemical content. It was found that the newly developed PSP crackers were high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as in calcium (1332.08 mg/kg) and contained anthocyanins of 6.68 mg/L. Besides that, this special cracker is free from food preservatives without coloring agents and additives. The processing of Purple Sweet Potato Cracker carries important features for small-medium entrepreneurs, which will contribute to the Malaysian economy perspectives, as it has a good potential to be marketed in domestic and international commercial food outlets.

Optimized Cellulase-Hydrolyzed Deoiled Coconut Cake Powder as Wheat Flour Substitute in Cookies

Deoiled coconut cake powder (DCCP) was hydrolyzed to reduce the ratio of insoluble/soluble dietary fiber (RIS) by partially converting insoluble dietary fiber to soluble using Celluclast 1.5 L, a commercial cellulase preparation in citrate buffer medium. Firstly, the influence of citrate buffer amount, enzyme concentration, pH, and retention time on the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency was investigated. Then, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the process in which the insoluble and soluble dietary fiber contents were the responses. The results revealed that 10.3 g buffer/g of materials, 3.7 U/g of the materials, and 60 min of retention time were the optimal conditions for the enzymatic hydrolysis to obtain the insoluble and soluble contents of 68.21%db and 8.18%db, respectively. Finally, DCCP or hydrolyzed DCCP (HDCCP) was partially substituted for wheat flour at different replacement ratios in a cookie recipe at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40%. The cookies with a 10% replacement ratio of hydrolyzed deoiled coconut cake powders had a lower RIS by more than two folds those of DCCP and had the same sensorial score as the control sample. This study proposed that Celluclast 1.5 L effectively reduced RIS by partially converting insoluble to soluble dietary fiber, improving the soluble dietary fiber content in fiber-enriched cookies.

Hot air convective drying of hog plum fruit (Spondias mombin): effects of physical and edible-oil-aided chemical pretreatments on drying and quality characteristics

This aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pretreatments and temperature on the hot air drying characteristics of hog plum fruits. Hog plum fruits were pretreated with olive oil/K₂CO₃ or sunflower oil/K₂CO₃ at 28 °C and olive oil/NaOH cum blanching at 96 °C for 15s, hot water at 96 °C for 15s, and dried in a hot air drier at 50, 60, and 70 °C. Mathematical models were used to fit the data of drying and rehydration kinetics. Results showed that increase in temperature reduced drying time, increased effective diffusivity and shrinkage. Sunflower oil aided chemical pretreated sample had the shortest drying time (780 min) and highest effective diffusivity (6.3 × 10⁻⁸ m²/s) at 60 °C, faster rehydration ability at 60 °C, highest retention rate for ascorbic acid (15 %), phenolic content (29 %), and antioxidant activity (12.3 %), while olive oil aided chemical (K₂CO₃) pretreated sample had the shortest drying time at 50 °C (990 min) and 70 °C (600 min), lowest shrinkage (48.5 %), slower rehydration capacity at 40 °C, and lowest colour change (ΔE = 11.5). Modified Henderson and Pabis and Vega-Gálvez were superior to other fitting models in predicting the drying and rehydration kinetics. Sunflower oil/K₂CO₃ pretreatment could help improve the drying and quality characteristics of hog plum.