Effect on Nutritional and Functional Characteristics by Encapsulating Powder in Enriched Corn Extrudates.

Wild fruit represents a rich source of bioactive compounds such as minerals, phenolic compounds, vitamins, carotenoids, folate, and antioxidant activity that still needs to be further exploited. Thus, this study aimed to use wild fruit encapsulated powder with different biopolymers aiming to manufacture ready-to-eat products, such as corn extrudates. To achieve this goal, extrudate physicochemical characteristics, such as water content (x), water activity (a), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), swelling index (SWE), hygroscopicity (Hy), expansion index (SEI), bulk density (ρ), porosity (ε), textural, optical; nutritional; and functional analysis (phenolic acids, flavonoids, ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids, vitamin C, carotenoids, folates, antioxidant activity, and minerals) were determined. Results highlighted that 4 and 8% addition of wild fruit encapsulated powder could be successfully used in the corn extrudates, showing the positive influence on its nutritional and functional value. Strong positive Pearson correlations were identified between antioxidant capacity and total flavonoids, carotenoids, folates, and vitamin C of mixtures and extrudates Minerals increased their amount during the extrusion process, reaching the highest values at an addition of 8% rosehip encapsulated with pea protein biopolymer. Furthermore, from the biopolymers used in the present study, pea protein powder exhibited the highest protection on the analyzed bioactive compounds against the extrusion process.