Utilization of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder to improve the physiochemical and functional properties of cookies

Abstract

The objective of the current research was to develop nutritionally enriched cookies by combining protein-rich mushroom flour (MF) with barley flour (BF). In this study, BF was substituted with various concentrations of MF (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) to produce nutritional gluten-free cookies. All samples were analyzed for physicochemical, color, antioxidant activity, microbiological, and sensory properties of the developed cookies. Additionally, the effect of MF on the texture, temperature, crystallinity, and microstructure of the cookies was studied. The results showed that the MF-enriched cookies had higher crude protein (T₅) and ash levels than the control cookies (only BF). The spread ratio decreased and the breaking strength increased as the percentage of MF increased. The inclusion of MF significantly increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the cookies, improving their bio-functional quality. The L* value of the cookies decreased, while the a* and b* values were observed to increase significantly with the incorporation of MF. Besides this, the antimicrobial properties of the cookies increased with increasing MF concentration. However, higher sensorial properties were reported at 10% MF concentration. Thereafter, increasing the MF concentration negatively affected the sensorial properties of the cookies. The texture analysis revealed that the increasing amount of MF decreased the hardness and fracturability of the cookies. The thermal characteristics showed that the degree of gelatinization decreased with increasing MF, while some large starch granules were observed on the outer surface. In addition, the increasing MF concentration increases the crystalline formation. The study showed that MF and BF can be used as functional ingredients to develop a protein-rich confectionery product with high textural and functional quality attributes.