Avaliação da farinha de mororó (Bauhinia forficata) como ingrediente funcional em pães

Abstract

The search for functional foods has grown significantly, especially to meet the needs of consumers with specific metabolic conditions. These foods offer additional health benefits, in addition to their basic nutritional functions, contributing to the prevention and control of chronic diseases. In this context, the present study evaluated the incorporation of mororó flour (Bauhinia forficata), one of the Non-Conventional Edible Plants (NCEP), in bread formulations, investigating its effects on the technological quality, color, nutritional composition, dough expansion and microstructure of the final product. Mororó flour (FM) is already recognized in the literature for its potential in the control of metabolic diseases. With this in mind, four bread samples were formulated with different concentrations of FM (2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%), partially replacing wheat flour. The centesimal composition of the FM revealed a significant content of carbohydrates (64.84%), as well as proteins (15.28%), lipids (7.64%), ash (4.82%) and moisture (7.40%). These values indicate that the flour can contribute with important nutritional properties, such as increased protein content and the presence of mineral compounds. The expansion of the dough was evaluated by the volume expansion factor (VEF), evidencing a significant reduction with the increase in the concentration of mororó flour. The formulation with 2.5% FM presented the highest VEF (1.25), while that with 10% FM presented the lowest expansion (0.34). This result indicates that the incorporation of flour affects the expansion capacity of the dough, which may be related to interactions with the gluten network, hindering the retention of gases during fermentation. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed these structural changes, revealing modifications in the gluten network, resulting in a more compact crumb and less expansion of the bread. Color analysis showed a significant reduction in lightness (L), indicating darkening of the bread as the FM concentration increased. In addition, the a* and b* values increased, with reddish and yellowish tones, while the chroma (C) indicated that the coloration became more saturated. The hue angle (h) remained close to 86°, indicating that the breads maintained a characteristic yellowish tone. The results of the technological and visual characteristics of the bread suggest that the partial replacement of wheat flour by FM may impact its sensory acceptance. However, the potential functional benefits of mororó make this formulation a viable alternative for the development of bakery products. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the digestibility of starch and the metabolic effects of FM in the body.