Quality evaluation of functional bread developed from wheat, malted millet (Pennisetum Glaucum) and 'Okara' flour blends

Consumer interest and recognition of the link between health and diet have spurred the demand for functional foods. This study evaluated the quality characteristics of functional bread developed from the blends of wheat (WHF), malted millet (MMF), and 'okara' (SYF) flour. A three-component constrained mixture design which generated fourteen (14) experimental runs based on different combinations of wheat (50-90%), malted millet (545%), and 'okara' (5-45%) flours was adopted for the production of functional bread. The flour blends were processed into bread and analyzed for sensory acceptability and antioxidant properties (radical scavenging activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total flavonoid, and phenolic contents. The optimum flour combination in obtaining higher antioxidant properties and acceptability was 65.18% WHF, 19.43% MMF, and 15.39% SYF using numerical optimization techniques. The control (100% whole-wheat bread) and optimized bread produced were assessed for physico-chemical, antioxidant properties, color, and sensory qualities. The total dietary fiber, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium of the optimized bread were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in the control sample having 11.25 and 9.23%, 127.80, and 75.65 mg/100 g, 68.18 and 63.77 and 13.83 ppm and 12.62 ppm respectively. The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of the control and optimized bread were significantly (p < 0.05) different with values ranging from 97.90 to104.86 mg/100 g and 62.38 to 54.69 mg/100 g respectively. A significant variation was observed in the sweetness and denseness intensity between the control and optimized bread, but no significant differences were recorded in the intensities other attributes studied. The study revealed that the chemical and antioxidant properties of the developed functional bread validate its potential health-promoting effects. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of African Institute of Mathematical Sciences / Next Einstein Initiative.