Nutritional, Textural, and Sensory Quality of Aloe Vera Leaf Gel Powder Fortified Plain Cake

Dhrubajyoti Singha,Delara Akhter,Md. Anisur Rahman Mazumder,Md. Towhidur Rahman,Thottiam Vasudevan Ranganathan,Md. Fahad Jubayer,Kumkum Devnath

doi:10.3390/j4030033

Abstract

Aloe Vera leaves have great potential as an economic supplement with an adequate nutritional profile. The current study aimed to fortify plain (loaf) cakes with Aloe Vera leaf gel (AVG) powder. AVG was freeze-dried to produce Aloe Vera powder (ALP), and four plain (loaf) cakes were prepared with different proportions of ALP (0, 4, 6, and 8%). ALP contained significantly (p < 0.05) more protein (22.23 vs. 12.24), ash (19.83 vs. 0.64), and iron (175 vs. 3.05) than refined wheat flour (RWF). Along with total polyphenols and total flavonoids, ALP demonstrated good antioxidant activity. ALP-cakes and RWF-cakes were also evaluated for their nutritional and functional properties. The addition of 6 and 8% ALP to the formulation increased total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity in plain (loaf) cakes. Hardness and chewiness increased in ALP-cakes but decreased in RWF-cakes, while cohesiveness and springiness decreased in ALP-cakes. In conclusion, the best formulation was a 4% ALP incorporated cake, and ALP can be supplemented in plain cakes at a rate of up to 8% to improve nutrient value. This is the first study to evaluate the quality characteristics of fortified plain (loaf) cakes using ALP.

Highlights

Aloe Vera has long been recognized as a natural product and has been well known for its herbal, medicinal, beauty, and skin care properties for centuries [1]
The results suggested that Aloe Vera leaves powder (ALP) could be used as an alternative protein source in bakery products
It was observed that ALP is a good source of protein, mineral, flavonoid, and anti-oxidant

Summary

Introduction

Aloe Vera has long been recognized as a natural product and has been well known for its herbal, medicinal, beauty, and skin care properties for centuries [1]. The Aloe Vera leaf contains 75 potentially active elements, including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, lignin, saponins and amino acids, etc. Because of these characteristics, it is one of the most nutrient-dense plants ever discovered. It is one of the most nutrient-dense plants ever discovered For this variety of benefits, it is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. It can be used as natural additives and preservatives in foods [3,4]

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