Journal
FOODS
Volume 10, Issue 5, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/foods10050938
Keywords
Urtica dioica; stinging nettle; enriched bread; minerals; dietary fibers; antioxidants
Categories
Funding
- joint grant CCIAA-University of Ferrara (2016)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study found that adding nettle leaves during breadmaking can significantly increase fiber and nutrient levels, such as calcium and copper. Enrichment with nettle leaves also leads to higher levels of lutein, beta-carotene, total phenols, and antioxidant activity in the bread.
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is an edible plant, well-known for its nutritional and nutraceutical properties. Stinging nettle leaves are typically rich in fibers, minerals and vitamins, as well as antioxidant compounds, i.e., polyphenols and carotenoids. Due to these reasons, since ancient times stinging nettle has been widely used in Italy as an ingredient in foods and beverages as a therapeutic agent. This work provides an investigation focused on bread enrichment with nettle leaves and the improvement of bread proximate composition in minerals, fibers and antioxidant compounds during product preparation. The comparison between plain and nettle enriched white bread shows a significant increase in fibers and nutrients, i.e., calcium and copper levels. Nettle enrichment also provides an increase in lutein and beta-carotene, as well as in total phenols and antioxidant activity. These last two nutritional elements are remarkably high in enriched bread and it has been found that phenolic concentration increases during breadmaking steps, from kneading to primary dough fermentation and from secondary fermentation of shaped loaves to baking.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available