Development and optimization of wheatgrass-based instant soup mix using response surface methodology

Abstract

Introduction: Wheat grass is the shoot of Triticum aestivum Linn. belongs to the family Gramineae, and posses high chlorophyll content, essential vitamins, minerals, vital enzymes, aminoacids, dietary fibers etc., It has been shown to posses anti- cancer, anti- ulcer, antioxidant and anti-arthritic activity due to the presence of biologically active compounds, and minerals. Therefore, the present study has been proposed to develop optimized wheatgrass-based instant soup mix using response surface technology as a statistical tool. Materials and Methods: Response Surface Methodology (RSM)is a statistical tool which can be used to determine the best combination of ingredients to optimize overall acceptability of any food product. Ingredients such as lyophilized wheatgrass powder, tomato powder, and wheat bran have been selected as independent variables, while overall acceptability (OAA) and consistency were considered as dependent variables. Physicochemical, rheological, antioxidant activity, sensorial parameters were determined for the optimized instant soup mix and compared with the commercial sample. Results: The results indicated that lyophilized wheatgrass significantly increased (P Conclusion: The developed combination of wheat-based soup mix efficiently can be consumed as a health booster.