Rhubarb powder: Potential uses as a functional bread ingredient

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Food Technology

Background:

• Bread, a staple food, often lacks essential nutrients like fiber and minerals.
• Investigating novel ingredients for bread fortification is crucial for public health.
• Rhubarb is a potential source of beneficial compounds for food enrichment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using rhubarb powder to enhance the nutritional profile of wheat bread.
• To determine the impact of varying rhubarb powder concentrations on bread's physicochemical and sensory properties.
• To identify the optimal rhubarb powder level for acceptable bread quality.

Main Methods:

• Wheat flour was substituted with rhubarb powder at 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% ratios.
• Bread samples underwent analysis for color, moisture, protein, fat, fiber, ash, antioxidant activity, and texture.
• Sensory evaluation was performed by a panel to assess odor, flavor, and overall impression.

Main Results:

• Increasing rhubarb powder content significantly elevated fiber (up to 10.60%), ash (up to 4.34%), and fat content (up to 2.17%).
• Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content showed significant increases with higher rhubarb powder inclusion.
• Bread enriched with 4% rhubarb powder received the highest sensory scores, indicating optimal acceptance.

Conclusions:

• Rhubarb powder effectively enhances the nutritional value of wheat bread, increasing key nutrients and antioxidant properties.
• While higher concentrations increase nutritional content, sensory attributes decline beyond 4% rhubarb powder.
• Incorporating up to 4% rhubarb powder offers a viable strategy for producing nutritionally improved and sensorially acceptable bread.