Antioxidant-rich functional mini-baguette: The role of rose petal fortification and sourdough fermentation

Rose, a member of Rosaceae family, is one of the most important commercial flower due to its economic, medicinal, and spiritual impact. The aim of this study was to develop sourdough mini-baguettes (SMBs) fortified with rose petal powder (RPP) and to examine the role of sourdough fermentation on their physical, antioxidant characteristics, as well as consumer acceptability. Particularly, four formulations were prepared: SMBs without RPP (SMB-0), SMBs with 2.5% of RPP (SMB-2.5), SMBs with 5.0% of RPP (SMB-5), and SMBs with 7.5% of RPP (SMB-7.5). The total polyphenol content ranged between 67.94 and 345.03mg GA/100g, total flavonoid content varied between 57.21 and 345.03mg GA/100g, and total anthocyanin content reached 24.32 and 63.17mg CGE/100g in fortified formulations. The highest DPPP radical scavenging activity was attested in SBM-7.5 (83.74%) in comparison with SMB-0 (9.24%). The sourdough fermentation enhanced antioxidant potential through acidification, while also interacting with technological and sensory quality. The highest acidity, ΔE, hardness, belonged to SMB-7.5. The overall acceptability results clearly showed that the addition of rose at a concentration of 7.5% caused significantly decreased overall acceptance due to astringent taste. RPP fortification may decrease the porosity, which is an important quality attribute of SMBs. Slight variations were found in baking loss parameters. The incorporation of RPP at 2.5% in SMB formulation extended the shelf-life for one day. Delays in SMBs molding and the lowest mold count in fortified SMBs are due to ability to produce a variety of antimicrobial compounds in dough during fermentation. SMBs fortified with rose exhibited promising characteristics, suggesting its potential as an aesthetic and nutritional impact on bakery products, though industrial-scale studies are still required.

Acknowledgments. This research was supported by Institutional Project subprogram 020405 “Optimizing food processing technologies in the context of circular bioeconomy and climate change”, Bio-OpTehPAS, implemented at Technical University of Moldova.