Use of Ancient Wheat (Einkorn and Emmer) to Improve the Nutritional and Functional Properties of Gevreks

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the suitability of ancient wheat (einkorn and emmer) flours to increase functional properties such as phenolic content and antioxidant activity of gevreks. The einkorn and emmer wheat flour was replaced up to 100% ratio with refined wheat flour in gevrek formulation. Experiments were conducted according to (2×5)×2 factorial design. Some physical, chemical, functional and sensory properties of those gevreks were determined and compared with control gevreks prepared with wheat flour. Einkorn flour usage gave higher lightness and lower redness to gevrek samples compared to emmer flour. Also, gevrek containing emmer had the lowest width (17.13 mm) and hardness (3398.59 g) as well as similar thickness and fracturability to gevrek containing einkorn. Increasing the ancient wheat flour ratio markedly improved all of the measured chemical and nutritional properties of the gevrek samples. Among the ancient wheat flours, emmer flour revealed a higher fat, antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP and CUPRAC) value and phenolic content than einkorn flour in gevreks. With the addition of einkorn flour, richer Ca, Fe and Mg contents were obtained in gevrek samples. It has been determined that the sensory properties of the gevreks produced with the addition of einkorn provide more acceptable products.