Chlorella sorokiniana: A new alternative source of carotenoids and proteins for gluten-free bread

Microalgae are natural sources of proteins and bioactive compounds and can be used as a functional ingredient to improve the nutritional quality of gluten-free (GF) bread. Several strategies have been applied to aid processing and enhance GF bread properties. This study evaluated the partial replacement of pea flour by Chlorella sorokiniana biomass powder to increase the nutritional quality of GF bread. The bread was enriched with 2.5 g (M2.5) or 5.0 g (M5.0) of microalga powder per 100 g of the blend of rice flour and corn starch in substitution of pea flour. For the evaluation of the carotenoid profile and fatty acids composition, two baking temperature-time binomials were tested (220 degrees C/12 win and 180 degrees C/15 min). Comparing the control and the M5.0 bread, the microalga addition increased the protein content from 67 mg g(-1) to 85 mg g(-1) and the lutein content from 1.6 mu g g(-1), to 57.5 mu g g(-1). Furthermore, the omega-3 content in the fatty acids increased from 5.0% to 6.1%. Sensory analysis revealed that the M2.5 bread had an acceptance rate greater than 70%. No impact on the texture, neither on the specific volume, was induced by the C. sorokiniana addition.