ABSTRACT
The present work describes the evaluation of fig peels and blackthorn fruit extracts as natural purple colorants in doughnuts (icing) and in a typical Brazilian pastry called "beijinho". The extracts were screened for their antioxidant activity as well as their antibacterial capacity. Nutritionally, the employed extracts did not induce significant changes, contrarily to the observed for the rheological features, mainly the darker purple tone observed when blackthorn extract was used in the icing solution. After 24 h, both prepared formulations showed a decrease in color intensity, with no significant differences between fig and blackthorn extracts. In turn, the firmness and consistency of the doughnuts benefited from using natural colorants in the icing solution, while "beijinhos" became softer and chewier, which are valued attributes. A significant increase in the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities was also observed for both natural extracts. Accordingly, the evaluated extracts are promising candidates as natural food colorants.
Subject(s)
Anthocyanins/chemistry , Ficus/chemistry , Food Coloring Agents/chemistry , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Prunus/chemistry , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Brazil , Candy , Color , Fruit/drug effects , Hemolysis/drug effects , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , SheepABSTRACT
With the purpose of valuing the species Chenopodium quinoa Willd (quinoa), as well as encouraging the consumption of its grains, this study aimed at providing a detailed evaluation of the nutritional value and chemical composition of several quinoa grains of different colour varieties (black, red and white) from different origins. The results demonstrated an excellent composition, namely in the presence of many compounds of interest, such as organic acids, tocopherols and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as a very favourable nutritional profile, with carbohydrates and proteins being the prominent macronutrients. Regarding the different varieties, statistical analysis showed that there were no significant differences in studied parameters, with the exception of proteins, carbohydrates, oxalic acid, γ-tocopherol and total tocopherols content. Thus, this pseudocereal takes a position of nutritional excellence, compared to others cereals more commonly consumed, thereby representing a promising ingredient for many uses in the food industry.