Bioactive Profile and Rheological Characteristics of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) Pulp Commercial Flour

The growing demand for sustainable, gluten-free alternatives has positioned breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) flour as a promising multifunctional ingredient. This study comprehensively evaluated commercial breadfruit flour from Mauritius using advanced analytical techniques, including volatiles analysis, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and rheometry. The flour exhibited interesting techno-functional properties with significant water-binding capacity (6.18 ± 0.45 H₂O/g DM) and concentration-dependent pasting behavior, achieving 17.895 mPa·s peak viscosity at 16% suspensions with elastic-dominated gel characteristics. Notably, FT-IR spectral analysis revealed a high similarity (95.68%) to acarbose (GLUCOBAY), warranting further biochemical investigation. The flour demonstrated superior oxidative stability (46.3 h) and significant antioxidant capacity, with methanolic extracts yielding 2.27 ± 0.31 mg GAE/g phenolic content and enhanced radical scavenging activities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) 2.81 ± 0.23 μg TE/g and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) 31.24 ± 0.26 μg TE/g. These findings establish breadfruit flour as a multifunctional ingredient combining excellent technological properties, exceptional oxidative stability, and bioactive applications, positioning it as a valuable sustainable alternative for gluten-free products and functional foods targeting metabolic health management.