Diet Chocolates and Replacement of Cocoa Powder with Jackfruit Seed Powder

Chocolate is a very popular food product that is relished by millions of people for its unique, rich and sweet taste. The health benefits of chocolate are immense which is attributed to its high polyphenolic content. In the current study, the diet chocolates using natural and artificial sweeteners were developed. Also, the jackfruit seed powder after fermentation (anaerobic and aerobic) was used to replace cocoa powder by 10%. The physiochemical and glycemic index of the chocolates were analyzed. The physiochemical analysis of the chocolates indicated that substitution of jackfruit seed powder did not alter significantly the proximate composition. It was found out that the glycemic index and glycemic load of the chocolates were significantly lower than commercial milk chocolate, which makes it a suitable food product for diabetic and other groups. The samples were packed in pouches made of metallised polyester films laminated with polyethylene for storage studies. Instrumental textural studies were in concordance with sensory observation, indicating that the product remained stable for 3 months at room temperature (26°C ± 2°C). The color of the product remained similar throughout the storage period indicating stable structural and surface characteristics. Hence, the chocolates developed using natural and artificial sweeteners have low GI and will minimize the risk of several chronic diseases including diabetes and the use of jackfruit seed powder as a substitute for cocoa powder has not altered any of the characteristic features of chocolate.

Dietary Supplementation of <i>κ</i>-Carrageenan to Improve the Physio-Chemical and Functional Properties of White Bread

Fiber intake improves gut health and prevents non-communicable diseases. The current study investigates the substitution of carrageenan in white bread and evaluates its effect on the physiochemical and structural characteristics of bread. The 100% wheat flour was used as control and the test sample contained 4% carrageenan. The physio-chemical analysis showed that carrageenan-substitution improved the hydration properties of the flour (WHC—1.33 g/g;SC—3.50 ml/g). Carrageen substituted bread had reduced the loaf volume. The fiber content in carrageenan-substituted bread was noticeably higher (9.4 g%) than control (3.5 g%). Crude lipid (4.6 g%) and protein (7.0 g%) content improved with carrageenan-substitution. The mineral contents (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, and Zn) were increased in carrageenan-breads. The texture profile analysis showed a decreased hardness (H1—92.3 N, H2—62.5 N) and improved springiness (5.3 mm) in carrageenan-bread.

Effect of sonication-cooking on the immunoreactivity of soy slurry from germinated soybeans

Soy proteins are globular in nature and are resistant to denaturation with lower intensity thermal treatments like cooking.Likewise,germination can also alter the protein structure through the activity of various enzymes and sonication can disrupt the molecular structure through cavitation and other ultrasound effects,and contribute to some reduction in immunoreactivity(IR)of allergens.This study evaluated the effects of germination and sonication pretreatment in combination with common cooking on lowering the soy allergen IR.Germination was carried out for up to 120 h and ultrasound sonication treatments were given for 20,40 and 60 min at room temperature.Cooking at 100 oC was carried out for 10 to 60 min.The soy allergen IR was evaluated using a commercial sandwich ELISA kit.The combined action of germination,sonication and cooking helped to reduce the soy allergen IR to single digit mg/L levels from the nearly 400 mg/L initial level in the 5%soy slurry(>99%reduction).These levels are lower than the reported threshold values of soy allergens in foods.In addition,the germination and ultrasound process was shown to reduce the anti-nutritional properties and enhance the phenolic and radical scavenging activity by over 50%.