Low-Calorie Cookies Enhanced with Fish Oil-Based Nano-ingredients for Health-Conscious Consumers

This study explored the effectiveness of fish oil (FO)-loaded nanoemulsions, averaging 197 nm in diameter, as fat substitutes in creating low-calorie cookies. The cookies' diameter, thickness, and spread ratio were measured, ranging from 46.33 to 57.15 mm, 6.45 to 7.51 mm, and 6.16 to 8.86, respectively. Notably, cookies containing nanoemulsions exhibited a significant increase in the spread ratio compared to the control. The control sample had the highest hardness value at 43.81 N, while the nanoemulsion group had the lowest at 26.98 N. The energy value, which was 508 kcal/100 g in the control group, decreased to 442 kcal/100 g in the group containing the nanoemulsion. The total n-3 fatty acid content in cookies rose from 0.46% in the control cookies to 3.90% in the cookies containing nanoemulsion. Sensory evaluations showed that cookies containing fish ol-loaded nanoemulsion received the highest scores, indicating that the fat reduction did not compromise the desired ″greasy″ sensation. This is especially noteworthy, as it showed that the fat content could be reduced by half without compromising the sensory quality. Utilizing FO-loaded nanoemulsions as a fat replacement in fat-reduced baked goods could provide valuable insights for other food products. The findings have significant implications for the food industry, suggesting that healthier, low-calorie baked goods can be developed without sacrificing physical quality and texture. This approach can cater to the growing market demand for health-conscious food options, potentially leading to new product innovations and enhanced nutritional profiles in a variety of food products.

Investigating the effect of red beetroot powder concentration and processing time on the bioactive compounds composition and antioxidant capacity of beetroot dark chocolate

BACKGROUND

The development of functional foods is receiving increased recognition as a result of the general interest in healthy diets as part of a healthier lifestyle. This project sought to incorporate red beetroot in dark chocolate and investigate the effect of beetroot powder concentration and processing time on the chocolates' bioactive compound composition, antioxidant capacity, and sugar content.

RESULTS

The results showed the presence of bioactive compounds such as betalains and vitamin C in the red beetroot with relatively high antioxidant capacity. The addition of beetroot powder to dark chocolate increased the majority of the bioactive compounds (e.g. catechin, epicatechin, betalains, vitamin C) while at the same time increasing the antioxidant capacity. It also resulted in a decrease in sugar content. Except for vitamin C, processing for more than 12 h had an increasing effect on the majority of the bioactive compounds. Beetroot powder incorporation at a maximum of 30% and processing for 24 h was regarded as optimal.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the present study suggests that red beetroot powder could be added to dark chocolates and processed for more than 12 h to increase the bioactive compounds and overall antioxidant capacity. This research would help to diversify beetroot utilization, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve the overall health-promoting properties of dark chocolate for improved consumer well-being. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Thermal Stability and Antioxidant Activity of Bioactive Compounds in Bread Enriched with Bee Pollen and Bee Bread

Bee pollen (BP) and bee bread (BB) are natural food sources containing a wide variety of bioactive compounds, complementing their rich nutritional composition. These bee products are being explored to empower functional foods, with the term functionality being dependent on the bioactive compounds added to the food matrix. However, there is not enough evidence of the effect of heat on these compounds during food processing and production and how it impacts their biological activity. Here, we enriched traditional bread by adding BP and BB at different proportions of 1 to 5% and tested the thermal stability of their bioactive compounds through several spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses. Adding bee pollen and bee bread to bread resulted in a 4 and 5-fold increase in total phenolic content, respectively. While not all the 38 phenolic and phenolamide compounds identified in the raw BP and BB were detected in the processed bread, phenolamides were found to be more resilient to baking and heat treatment than flavonoids. Still, the enriched bread's antioxidant activity improved with the addition of BP and BB. Therefore, incorporating bee products into heat-treated products could enhance the functionality of staple foods and increase the accessibility to these natural products.

Cookies Fortified with Lonicera japonica Thunb. Extracts: Impact on Phenolic Acid Content, Antioxidant Activity and Physical Properties

Highlights

Abstracts

Lonicera japonica Thunb. (LJ), as a Caprifoliaceae family plant, is enriched with polyphenols. Cookies supplemented with LJ extracts have the potential to exert antioxidant activity. However, studies on cookies fortified with LJ extracts are scarcely available. Therefore, the effect of LJ extract addition on cookie phenolic acid content, antioxidant activity, color, texture and the sensory score was firstly evaluated. Results suggest that different levels (1–4%) of LJ extracts significantly increased chlorogenic acid content, ranging from 21.96 to 202.65 μg/g. Cookies with a 4% level of LJ extracts possessed the highest activity of scavenging DPPH free radical activity (63.71 μg Vc/g), ABTS free radical activity (415.10 μg Vc/g), and ferric-reducing power of cookies (169.58 μg Vc/g). Further, a decrease in lightness L* and an increase in redness a* were observed in cookies with LJ extract addition. LJ extract addition lowered the hardness of cookies, and 4% level of LJ extracts increased the crispiness of cookies. Cookies with a 1% level of LJ extracts had a higher overall acceptance score (84.33) than that of other levels. Sensory acceptance played a vital role in the selection of the optimal formulation of cookies. Therefore, LJ extracts at 1% level could be an optimal supplement proportion in cookies and increased the antioxidant activity of cookies.