Effect of pitaya peel powder addition on the phytochemical and textural properties and sensory acceptability of dried and cooked noodles

Abstract

Pitaya peel, a by-product during processing, contains many phytochemicals. To make good use of it, an approach of adding pitaya peel powder (PPP) to noodle as a bioactive ingredient was applied. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of PPP level (0%-9%) on phytochemical, textural, and sensory properties of noodle. With an increase in the PPP level, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical radical scavenging capacity, free polyphenols, and total betacyanins of noodle were enhanced. PPP-enriched noodle had a redder and darker color. The color of dried noodle was relatively stable during storage, while cooking led to an obvious decrease in betacyanin content and redness of noodle. A higher PPP level significantly reduced extensibility and elasticity of the noodle, but increased tensile strength, cutting force, and cooking loss. Noodle with 0%-6% PPP had similar sensory scores in overall preference. Healthy and colorful noodle enriched with 3%-6% PPP had acceptable sensory quality and higher bioactive components. Practical applications Consumption of food products made with natural ingredients having more phytochemicals is beneficial to health and fits the current trend in food market. After juice processing, pitaya peels are generally discarded as a waste. Since the peels contain lots of phytochemicals including dietary fibers, betacyanins, and polyphenols, pitaya peels were utilized and prepared into pitaya peel powder (PPP) in this study. Increased consumption of PPP-enriched noodle is proposed for health reasons. The study demonstrated PPP as a bioactive ingredient can be utilized in noodle products. Healthy noodle having good nutritional and sensory quality could be manufactured using PPP.