In Vitro Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Composite Flour Formulations Developed Using Selected Local...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Microbiology

Background:

• Composite flours offer a nutritional advantage by combining various grains.
• Traditional processing methods may not fully preserve the bioactive compounds in grains.
• Understanding the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of novel food formulations is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro antioxidant capacity of extruded composite flour formulations.
• To assess the antimicrobial activity of these formulations against pathogenic bacteria.
• To compare the efficacy of extrusion processing versus conventional methods.

Main Methods:

• Four composite flour formulations were prepared using locally available Sri Lankan grains.
• Antioxidant potential was determined using DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays.
• Antimicrobial activity was assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria via agar well diffusion and disk diffusion assays, using ethanol and water extracts.

Main Results:

• Extruded composite flours exhibited superior antioxidant properties compared to conventionally prepared samples.
• A strong correlation was observed between antioxidant potential measurements across different assays.
• All formulations demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens, with ethanol extracts showing higher efficacy.
• Agar well diffusion method yielded significantly higher inhibition zones than the disk diffusion method.

Conclusions:

• The developed extruded composite flour formulations possess potent natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.
• These formulations can effectively combat common food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria.
• The study highlights the potential of these value-added products for promoting health benefits beyond basic nutrition.