Process optimization of meal replacement powder based on rice bran and Cyperus esculentus L. cake

This study aims to improve the nutritional value of meal replacement powder by incorporating rice bran (RB) and Cyperus esculentus L. cake (CEC) to meet the dietary needs of individuals seeking to lose weight. The conditions of the meal replacement powder were optimized using single-factor experiment and the Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology.

The findings of our study demonstrated that ultrasonic-assisted microwave treatment of RB exhibits greater stability compared to other methods. The optimal RB parameters were an ultrasonic time of 16.29 min, a microwave time of 103.81 s and a microwave power of 600.15 W. The degreasing rate of rice bran was 75.5 ± 0.9%, whereas the residual activity of peroxidase was 11.7 ± 0.1%. The optimum CEC parameters were: NaOH concentration of 40.4 g kg^-1, bath temperature of 82.32 °C and bath time of 39.67 min. The two models exhibited a strong correlation, with determination coefficients (r²) of 0.9809 and 0.9884, respectively. The optimal formulation for the meal replacement powder consisted of 27% RB, 33% CEC, 19% erythritol, 9% konjac powder and 7% soy protein isolate. Under optimal conditions, the comprehensive score was 88.39.

The optimized meal replacement powder had greater comprehensive score and sensory acceptability. The present study provides a theoretical basis for the industrial production of meal replacement powder. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.