JOURNAL TOOLSBREAD SUPPLEMENTED WITH HERBAL BLEND VITALPLANT®
DOI:
UDK:
JOURNAL No:
Volume 35, Issue 3
PAGES
113-118
KEYWORDS
medicinal herbs, bread, sensory properties
Olivera Šimurina1*, Bojana Filipčev1, Đorđe Psodorov1, Marijana Sakač1, Marija Bodroža Solarov1, Mladenka Pestorić1, Budimka Novaković2
1Institute for Food Technology, Novi Sad, Serbia
2Faculty of Medicine, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000 Novi Sad
ABSTRACT
Abstract
With the aim of formulating novel bakery products with desired biological attributes, medicinal and aromatic herbs have been added to basic ingredients in various forms.
Pulverised herbal blend and extract VITALPLANT® intended for bodyweight regulation were included to bread formulation at recommended doses.The pulvis was added at 2% level and the extract was added at 8% level, flour basis.
In the paper it was investigated the effects of added herbal ingredients on the sensory properties of bread. The supplemented breads have specific aroma and colour which significantly distuinguished them from standard white bread.
It was concluded that the pulverised herbal blend is much more suitable for bread making because it contributes to the increase of bread specific volume and improves bread crumb attributes.
INTRODUCTION
Medicinal herbs have been widely applied in various industrial branches such as pharmaceutical, cosmetical, chemical, etc. Regarding food industry, medicinal herbs have been considered as the most usable resources for the development of nutraceutics - functional foods (Arsić, 2003). Baked foods are objective points to nutraceutical development because of their nutritive value and their value as nutraceutical carriers. When consumed at the daily recommended intake levels, fortified bread as mass consumed food item can easily serve as an effective medium for adminstering a daily dose of nutraceuticals. Guided by this idea, associates from the Institute for Medicinal Plant "Dr Josif Pančić", and the Institute for food technology in Novi Sad have developed a new formulation od bread supplemented with medicinal herbs (Brkić et al., 2001, Šimurina et al., 2000). Otherwise, herbs and spices are not being used as direct supplements in bread dough except for decorations (Neumann, 1999).
Medicinal and aromatic herbs not just influence the taste and flavour of the product but have a beneficial effect on human organism. Herbal extracts contain aetheric oils and other active substances such as tannins, organic acids, enzymes, resins, pigments, vitamins, minerals, mucous substances, etc. that enhance aroma and improve nutritive value of a product (Willbrandt, 1989).
The aim of the paper was to investigate the influence of commercial herbal blend VITALPLANT® for metabolism enhancement and body weight regulation in the proposed doses (2% pulvis flour basis, and 8% extract flour basis) on: specific volume, compressibility and crumb structure, taste, colour of crumb and crust.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The herbal blend VITALPLANT® was formulated in two forms: as a powder (pulvis) and liquid extract for production of specific breads. Medicinal raw material used for the production of the herbal blend was provided partially from spontaneous flora and cultivation, depending upon the species. According to the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), which are applying in production of medicines and herbal preparations, herbal drugs were tested according to directions supplied by actual regulation in this field (Ph Jug 2000).
Table 1. Qualitative characteristics of herbal drug constituents of Vitalplant®
Herbal drug |
Sensory characteristics |
Moisture content (%) |
Ash content (%) |
Essential oil (%) |
|
Frangulae cortex |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
9,30 |
5,31 |
- |
|
Menthae pip. Folium |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
12,03 |
10,87 |
2,26 |
|
Carvi fructus |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
5,73 |
4,95 |
2,35 |
|
Petroselini fructus |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
3,38 |
9,86 |
1,90 |
Quality control of all used herbal drugs covered: determination of sensory characterristics, determination of moisture content, determination of ash content as well as determination of aetheric oil content.
Pulverisation and sieving of single herbal drug was accomplished by the use of appropriate equipment (mills, sieves). This way the processed pulverized plant drugs (<3 mm) were mixed in proportions given by defined prescription, giving final herbal blend with trade name VITALPANT® pulvis.
Plant extracts were prepared by double per-colation method, using 45% propylene gly-col (PG) E1520 as solvent. Ratio of herbal drug to solvent was 1:2.
Table 2. Basic characteristics of single PG extracts
Extract |
Sensory characteristics |
Relative density (g/cm3) |
Refractive index |
pH |
|
Ext. Frangulae cortex |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
1,0545 |
1,3916 |
4,96 |
|
Ext. Menthae pip. folium |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
1,0575 |
1,3913 |
5,89 |
|
Ext. Carvi fructus |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
1,0502 |
1,3869 |
6,59 |
|
Ext. Petroselini fructus |
Correspond to Ph. Eur. |
1,0506 |
1,3920 |
7,69 |
Herbal blend VITALPANT® as the final product (powder and extract) was also characterised according to directions supplied by GMP, in the same way as original single herbal drugs (Table 3).
Table 3. Characteristics of herbal blends (powder and PG extract)
Characteristic |
Vitalplant® pulvis |
Vitalplant® extract |
|
Moisture content (%) |
7,91 |
- |
|
Ash content (%) |
6,71 |
- |
|
Sieve analysis |
0,75 |
- |
|
pH |
- |
5,81 |
|
Refractive index |
- |
1,3919 |
|
Relative density |
- |
1,0559 |
The basic ingredient for the production of bread with the herbal blend was wheat flour type 500 which quality parameters are reported in Table 4. Other ingredients (fresh baker's yeast, salt and improver) were of commercial origin. The quality attributes of the ingredients were analyzed according to the current regulations (Kaluđerski, et al. 1998, Regulation 74/1988, Regulation 52/-1995).
On the basis of the quality of applied ingredients and desired optimal quality attributes of the end product, processing procedures for dough mixing, handling and baking were elaborated.
The dose of herbal blend VITALPLANT® was selected to provide distinct aroma in bread but not to impair the sensory quality and acceptance of bread. The herbal blend VITALPLANT® pulvis was added in amount of 2% (flour basis) and the extract VITALPLANT® 8% flour basis. Other ingredients were dosed according to standard formula (yeast 3%, salt 2% and complex improver 0.3%).
Table 4. Processing quality of wheat flour
Quality parameter |
Value |
|
Water content, % |
12.6 |
|
Ash content, % d.b. |
0.47 |
|
Wet gluten content, % |
29.0 |
|
Farinogram |
|
|
Water absorption, % |
55.7 |
|
Departure, min. |
15.0 |
|
15-min drop, B.U, |
+15 |
|
Quality number |
100 |
|
Quality group |
A-1 |
|
Extensigram |
|
|
Extensigraph area, cm2 |
89 |
|
Resistance, B.U. |
500 |
|
Extensibility, mm |
117 |
|
Ratio |
4.27 |
|
Amylogram |
|
|
Amylograph peak viscosity, B.U. |
1055 |
Bake trials of 300-g pan breads were conducted under laboratory conditions using a straight dough process. After mixing in Diosna laboratory mixer at 85 r/min, the mass was fermented for 30 min. It was then divided into 340 g dough pieces, rounded and put into tin pans to ferment. The final fermentation lasted for 55-65 min at 30 °C. Baking was performed in a deck type oven "Termotehnika", Zagreb at 220 °C for 21-23 min.
Sensory properties of breads were determined 24 h after baking by 3 trained and experienced panelists. The sensory analysis was performed in accordance with the official method of determining sensory properties of bread in the Republic of Serbia (Kaluđerski et.al., 1998, Pravilnik 52/1995). The sensory analysis provided descriptive attributes regarding bread elasticity, crumb grain structure and flavour.
In addition to sensory analysis, instrumental parameters were also determined:Specific volume (ml/g) defined as a ratio of loaf volume and weight after 24 h.
- Crumb compressibilty determined by penetrometer SUR PNR 6 (Jan-čić et al., 1979).
- Colour of the crust and crumb deter-mined on a tristimulus photocolo-rimeter MOM Color 100. Colour pa-rameters were presented in CIE-Lab system (Robertson, 1977).
- Bread firmness and springiness were measured on bread 24 h after baking using a TA-XT plus texture analyzer (Stable Micro Systems, England) with a standard 36 mm cy-linder probe and a 5 kg load cell. The analysis was performed in four replicates per bread loaf. Two loa-ves of each bread type were analy-zed.
The obtained data were processed using program Statgraphic Plus V7.1. (Statistical graphic Corporation, UK).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The sensory properties of breads supplemented with herbal blends compared to that of the control standard bread are shown in Table 5.
Bread made with the VITALPLANT herbal extract did not significantly differ from the control sample in the specific volume whereas the powdered form gave an increase in loaf volume (Table 5).
The herbal blend VITALPLANT affected bread flavour providing a pleasant aroma associated with the used herbal drugs. The bread crumb was well developed and spongy. The elasticity and compressibility of bread made with the VITALPLANT pulvis were excellent and the pores were spongy with excellent meltingin-mouth. High values for penetrometer number additionally asserted that bread crumb was high quality. However, the bread made with the extract showed poorer sensory quality.
Tab. 5. Sensory properties of bread supplemented with herbal blends
Quality parameters |
Control sample |
Bread with powdered herbal blend |
Bread with liquid herbal extracts |
|
Specific volume, ml/g |
4,6a±0.34 |
5,9b±0.97 |
4.47a±0.45 |
|
Penetrometer number, after 24h |
100a±15.2 |
126a±13.4 |
88b±14.8 |
|
Crumb elasticity |
excellent |
Excellent+ |
very good |
|
Crumb grain structure |
spongy |
spongy |
fine |
|
Taste |
archaic |
Aromatic on mint, pleasant |
Aromatic on mint, pleasant |
Values followed by the same letter in a row are not significantly different at 5%.
The colour parameters of breads are displayed in Table 6.
The colour parameters of breads are displayed in Table 6.
Table 6 Crumb and crust colour parameters of breads supplemented with VITALPANT® herbal blend
Sample |
Crust colour parameters |
Crumb colour parameters |
||||
|
|
L* |
a* |
b* |
L* |
a* |
b* |
|
Control, standard bread |
64,72a |
0,38a |
34,15a |
95,77a |
5,32a |
22,6a |
|
Bread with 2% VITALPANT® pulvis |
59,47c |
3,73c |
35,24a |
56,72c |
-2,51b |
31,18b |
|
Bread with 2% VITALPANT® extract |
60,79b |
2,38b |
77,23b |
67,73b |
-7,27c |
30,66b |
a,b,c Values followed by the same letter in a row are not significantly different at 5%.
The addition of herbal blend decreased the lightness (L*). This effect was more prominent in the crumb rather than in the crust. Moreover, it was observed that herbal blend in the form of pulvis caused higher decrease in the lightness of either crumb and crust as compared to extract. There was an increase in the red tone (a*) of the crust in the supplemented breads. The yellow tone prevaled in all samples. The herbal extract caused a marked increase in the yellow tone of the crust.
As presented in Table 6, the a* values registered in the crumb of the supplemented breads were negative which imply to the prevalence of green tone of the crumb. Again, this effect was more marked in the samples prepared with the extracts. Same as in crust, the supplementation increased the yellow tone of the crumb as compared to the control. This increase was similar either for the extract or pulvis supplemened breads.
Table 7. Texture parameters of breads supplemented with VITALPANT® herbal blend
Sample |
Firmness, g |
Resilience, % |
|
Control, standard bread |
376,00a±22.06 |
30.27a±1.58 |
|
Bread with 2% VITALPANT® pulvis |
352,46a±20.43 |
30.96a±0.63 |
|
Bread with 2% VITALPANT® extract |
433,01b±27.25 |
29.73a±0.61 |
a,b Values followed by the same letter in a row are not significantly different at 5%.
The addition of herbal pulvis did not significantly affect the crumb firmness in comparison with the standard white bread, however, the herbal extract gave a massive increase in the crumb firmness which is probably due to the effect of solvent (45% propilene glycol) present in the extract. The crumb resilience was not significantly affectted in the supplemented breads.
CONCLUSIONS
The commercial herbal blend VITALPLANT® which contains the following aromatic herbs and medicinal plants: Frangulae cortex, Menthae pip. Folium, Carvi fructus and Petroselini fructus can be used in the bread production.
Breads with herbal blends VITALPANT® have different crumb colour than that of the standard bread, specific taste and aroma.
Herbal blend VITALPANT® in the form of pulvis is far more suitable for application in bread making than extract because it gives bread of high loaf volume and good crumb firmness and springiness.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The results presented in this paper are part of the project TR 20068 "Food for consumers with special requirements and needs" under the coordination of Dr M. Sakač, which is financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of the Serbia.
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