Effect of corn silk powder on the baking and quality dynamics of muffins

Corn silk, often considered as a waste material in sweet corn processing, is typically discarded by most food manufacturing industries. This study aims to maximize the utilization of corn silk by evaluating its phytochemical, physicochemical and sensory characteristics. The development of food products with enhanced nutritional value is a pressing concern for both scientists and food producers in the industry. Therefore, this research focuses on the creation of highly nutritious muffins incorporating underutilized corn silk powder (CSP). In the muffin preparation, CSP was used to partially replace refined wheat flour at levels of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. As the proportion of CSP increased, the protein and crude fiber content of the muffins gradually increased. Additionally, the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the muffins significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05) with the inclusion of CSP, reaching their maximum values when CSP was used to replace 40% of the refined wheat flour. The incorporation of CSP led to a decrease in the L* (lightness) value, resulting in lower a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values in the muffins. Texture analysis revealed that the cohesiveness, chewiness and gumminess of the muffins increased as the amount of CSP in the recipe was raised. A sensory evaluation was conducted to assess the acceptability of the corn silk muffins. The addition of CSP in muffins improved the sensory characteristics including colour, aroma, mouthfeel, texture and overall acceptability. These findings indicate that CSP has the potential to be used in the development of bakery food products, instant mixes, infant food formulas and value-added items.