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Alfalfa seeds potential in enhancing wheat flour nutritional composition, rheological properties and technological quality of resulting standard and sourdough bread

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Abstract

The wheat flour-alfalfa blends containing 5 and 10 g/100 g of non-germinated and germinated alfalfa flour were examined in terms of nutritional composition (protein, lipid, starch, total dietary fibre), mineral profile, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity (ABTS, FRAP), and Mixolab rheological properties while the corresponding standard and sourdough breads were evaluated regarding physical and textural characteristics (specific volume, hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness). The alfalfa flour inclusion resulted in increased protein (11.64–14.87%) and total dietary fibre (1.65–5.82%) contents in all blends, regardless of the alfalfa flour type but in a higher extent with 10 g/100 g inclusion level. Blends were characterised by improved mineral profile, total phenolic content (37.57–162.35 mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant properties (ABTS: 4.37–232.79 µmol TE/100 g, FRAP: 138.05–539.16 µmol TE/100 g) particularly when non-germinated alfalfa flour in quantity of 10 g/100 g was used. Dough rheological properties were not significantly affected by the alfalfa flour type, whilst higher alfalfa flour inclusion level prolonged dough development time. Increased specific volume (2.63–3.62 cm3/g) with decreased crumb hardness (3.82–1.68 N) was recorded upon alfalfa flour incorporation and was more pronounced for sourdough bread. Overall nutrient composition of blends and technological features of the resulting breads were enhanced by alfalfa flour addition.

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Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was done in the frame of CEEPUS network HR-0306-15-2223 “For Safe and Healthy Food in Middle-Europe” and it is supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovations of the Republic of Serbia [number 451-03-47/2023-01/200134 and 451-03-47/2023-01/200222]. We thank workers of the Department of Fermentation and Cereals Technology (Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science; Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences): Paweł Kołaczyk for help in determining total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, and Krystyna Siekańska, Beata Włodarska for help in determining dietary fibre content.

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The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Food Technology in Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Blvd. Cara Lazara 1, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Marijana Djordjević, Miljana Djordjević & Olivera Šimurina

  2. Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Department of Fermentation and Cereals Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, J. Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630, Wrocław, Poland

    Radosław Spychaj

  3. Faculty of Production Engineering, Department of Biotechnology and Food Analysis, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Komandorska Street 118/120, 53-345, Wrocław, Poland

    Ewa Pejcz

  4. Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, Department of Carbohydrate Food Engineering, University of Novi Sad, Blvd. Cara Lazara 1, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Zita Šereš & Dragana Šoronja-Simović

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  1. Marijana Djordjević
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Contributions

MD: conceptualization, investigation, formal analysis, writing-original draft preparation, visualization. RS: investigation, formal analysis, writing-original draft preparation, visualization, resources. EP: investigation, formal analysis, writing-original draft preparation, writing-reviewing and editing. MD: investigation, formal analysis, writing-original draft preparation, writing-reviewing and editing. ZŠ: resources. DŠ-S: resources. OŠ: writing-reviewing and editing.

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Correspondence to Marijana Djordjević.

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Djordjević, M., Spychaj, R., Pejcz, E. et al. Alfalfa seeds potential in enhancing wheat flour nutritional composition, rheological properties and technological quality of resulting standard and sourdough bread. Eur Food Res Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-024-04554-4

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