Evaluation of Nutritional and Sensorial properties of some Bakery Products fortified with Chicory powdered leaves

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the chemical composition of chicory leaves and their potential as a food ingredient in bakery products such as pies and crackers, to enhance their nutritional value. The proximate chemical composition, total phenolic content, minerals, antioxidant activity, and essential/non-essential amino acids of both chicory leaves powder and bakery products fortified with chicory leaves powder were analyzed. The results demonstrated that chicory leaves are a rich source of protein (11.60%) and minerals, including Fe (41.12 mg/100g), K (77.04 mg/100g), Mg (31.25 mg/100g), Mn (18.46 mg/100g), Ca (14.27 mg/100g), and Zn (12.35 mg/100g) on a dry weight basis. Additionally, chicory leaves exhibited significant DPPH radical scavenging activity (42.25%) and contained a substantial amount of total phenolic compounds (857.38 mg/100g). Notably, essential amino acids, particularly leucine, and phenylalanine, were found in high levels (0.403 and 0.436 mg/100g, respectively) in chicory leaves powder, while non-essential amino acids, such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid, were present at levels of 1.355 and 0.799 mg/100g, respectively. Sensory evaluation indicated that bakery products fortified with 2.5% chicory leaf powder received favorable acceptance, whereas those fortified with 5% and 7.5% were less preferred. Depending on this evaluation and farinograph results, this study focused on using bakery products fortified with 2.5% chicory leaf powder, which this study underscores the significance of further research and experimentation to develop high-nutritional-value products like pies and crackers fortified with chicory leaves. `