Food Technology
Yazdan Moradi; Mansoreh Ghaeni; Haleh Hadaegh
Abstract
Introduction
Seaweeds contain a high amount of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), natural pigments, macro and micro nutrient compounds. Microalgae Spirulina (Spirulina ...
Read More
Introduction
Seaweeds contain a high amount of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), natural pigments, macro and micro nutrient compounds. Microalgae Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) is a species with high nutritional value. About 60% to 70% of the dry weight (Spirulina platensis) is protein, which has all the essential amino acids. This is a cyanobacterial microalga that is cultivated all over the world and used as a supplement in the human diet in the form of tablets, powder and cookies, bread, salad and soup. Several studies have been conducted in the field of investigating the effect of microalgae addition in food products. The purpose of the current research was to investigate the effect of this microalgae powder on sensory, physical, protein and iron properties of three different products of bulk bread, cake and layered sweets with different formulations.
Materials and Methods
Spirulina microalgae dry powder in 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1% and 1.25% was added to the formula of three products: bulk bread, layered pastry, and cake. From each product, a sample without microalgae powder was also prepared and considered as a control. The treatments were evaluated in terms of sensory, color, texture, protein and iron content. Sensory evaluation was carried out by 30 panelists using 7 hedonic points to evaluate the color, flavor, texture, smell and overall acceptance. The color of the surface of the samples was done with a Minolta Chroma Meter (CR-300 Minolta Japan). The results calculated based on L* (whiteness/darkness), a*(redness/greenness) and b*(blueness/yellowness). Hardness of samples was measured with Texture Analyzer TA-XT2 (Stable Micro Systems, Surrey, England) and P/0.5 cylindrical probe (12.5 mm diameter) with 30 kg load cell. Protein of the samples was measured by Kjeldahl method and the amount of iron was measured according to the standard method of AOAC 999.11. All analyses were performed in three repetitions and one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test were used to compare the means.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that the behavior of spirulina microalgae in changing the characteristics of the three products is different, and this difference is especially significant in sensory characteristics. The addition of spirulina microalgae increased the amount of protein and iron in different treatments. This increase for protein in bread, cake and sweets was about 1, 0.6 and 1.2 percent, respectively. Also, the amount of iron in treatments containing microalgae in bread, cake, and layered sweets was 4, 5, and 3 mg/kg, respectively. Spirulina microalgae is basically known as an aquatic plant with high protein and iron. The microalgae used in this research contained a high amount of protein (67.97%) and 29.5 mg/100 grams of iron, so adding this microalga to the samples increased the amount of protein and iron. Sensory evaluation of the samples showed that all three products had an acceptable acceptance score. However, in comparison among the three products of bread, cake and layered sweets, bread had a lower score than the other two products. The instrumental analysis of L*, a*, b* color indices showed that the increase of spirulina caused green color in the treatments and this color change is more significant in the bread sample. Also, the results of texture analysis showed that the addition of spirulina reduces the hardness of samples containing spirulina. It can be concluded that spirulina microalgae can be used to improve texture, color, and also increase the amount of protein and iron in products.
Elnaz Shafie; Mohammad Goli
Abstract
Introduction: Milk dessert is a product that contains at least 50% the fresh cow milk or reconstituted milk, which is made with supplementary additives such as flavors, sweeteners, thickeners, and stabilizers, after undergoing heat treatment such as pasteurization or sterilization. Spirulina platensis ...
Read More
Introduction: Milk dessert is a product that contains at least 50% the fresh cow milk or reconstituted milk, which is made with supplementary additives such as flavors, sweeteners, thickeners, and stabilizers, after undergoing heat treatment such as pasteurization or sterilization. Spirulina platensis is a multi-cellular microalgae and a green-blue filament that is a rich source of protein, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and pigments. Today, as a substitute for sucrose, non-caloric sweeteners are used, which in a small amount make too much sweetness, but they are not absorbed by the body. Of these, stevia with higher sweetness than sucrose (300 to 400 times), less calories and lower glycemia index, is a good herbal sweetener to replace sucrose. Materials and methods: Factor A contains the percentage of algae Spirulina platensis (alternative to milk powder) at 5 levels (0-2 % of the final formula), factor B contains the percentage of stevia replacement with sucrose at 5 levels (0-100), to achieve optimal pudding production formula were selected. Optimization of formula was performed based on the parameters of syneresis, viscosity, hardness and cohesiveness by Response Surface Method (central composite design, α=2 with 6 central points). The results were analyzed using SPSS 20 software and the comparison of the means was done by LSD at 5% level and the charts were drawn by Excel software. Results & Discussion SyneresisGenerally, due to the increase of molecular connections between the chains and the outflow of water from the structure is created. According to the results of Table 3, the independent effect of stevia replacement with sugar, the interaction effect of Spirulina platensis and stevia replacement, and the quadratic effect of each of the independent variables on the Syneresis factor were significant (P <0.05). The rate of syneresis of the samples at higher levels of stevia replacement was reduced by decreasing the percentage of Spirulina platensis replacement, and at lower levels of stevia replacement, with the decrease in the percentage of Spirulina platensis replacement, the amount of syneresis significantly increased. Water holding capacity is linked to the ability of proteins, fats, and dietary fiber to maintain water inside the product structure. Because Spirulina platensis has high levels of protein, dietary fiber and fat, its presence in the formulation of frozen desserts has a significant effect on reducing the product's syneresis. ViscosityAs shown in Table 3, the independent effect of Spirulina platensis replacement and stevia replacement, the interaction effect of Spirulina platensis and stevia replacement, the quadratic effect of Spirulina platensis and stevia replacement on the amount of viscosity was significant (P <0.05 ). The level of viscosity at lower levels of stevia replacement decreased with a decreasing percentage of Spirulina platensis replacement, and at the higher levels of stevia replacement, reducing Spirulina platensis replacement percentage was no significant effect on the viscosity (Fig. 2). In general, the presence of Spirulina platensis in the pudding formulation increased its viscosity, which could be due to the Spirulina platensis protein structure and intercellular interactions. Spirulina with high water absorption reduces water mobility. Also, the presence of fiber and hydroxyl compounds in the structure of this fine algae has a significant effect on the viscosity of the product. Hardness and cohesivenessReplacement of Spirulina platensis and Stevia in pudding formulations did not have a significant effect on the hardness and cohesiveness of texture. While the interaction effect of Spirulina platensis and Stevia replacement on the hardness and cohesiveness of the pudding samples was significant (P<0.001). The quadratic effect of Spirulina platensis and stevia replacement on the amount of hardness and cohesiveness of texture was significant (P <0.05). At lower levels of stevia replacement, by increasing the Spirulina platensis replacement percentage, the hardness of the samples first increased and then decreased, while at higher levels of stevia replacement, with increasing Spirulina platensis replacement percentage, the hardness of the samples first decreased and then increased. Large particles of Spirulina platensis can cause unconnectedness and network connectivity and ultimately create a more sophisticated structure. In fact, Spirulina platensis protein molecules, having a hydrophilic property, compete with other molecules to bind to water molecules, which results in a weaker and more unstable gel structure. On the other hand, tissue hardness is largely dependent on dry matter, the amount and type of protein in the sample. High levels of protein cause cross-linking in the gel network and, ultimately, a rigid and dense structure. But it should be noted that the amount of sample fat plays an important role in the product's texture. Since Spirulina platensis, in addition to protein, also has significant amounts of fat, the intervention of the fatty molecules of this small algae can be effective in forming a weaker gel network and producing soft texture in the product. Finally, optimal formula 1 (2 % Spirulina platensis and 95% Stevia replacement) and optimal formula 2 (0.1% Spirulina platensis and 50% Stevia replacement) were predicted.
