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Pre-Hispanic Foods Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), Nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica) and Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) as New Alternative Ingredients for Developing Functional Cookies

Summary

This research developed healthier cookies by incorporating traditional Mexican ingredients – oyster mushrooms, nopal cactus, and amaranth – into regular wheat flour cookies. The enhanced cookies contained more protein, fiber, minerals and natural antioxidants compared to regular cookies while maintaining good taste and texture. Impact on everyday life: – Provides a healthier alternative to conventional cookies without sacrificing taste – Offers a way to incorporate traditional nutritious ingredients into modern diets – Demonstrates how cultural food heritage can be preserved through product innovation – Shows potential for developing other functional foods using these ingredients – Supports sustainable use of local food resources

Background

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the main health challenge globally in the 21st century, with higher morbidity and mortality rates than all other causes combined. Malnutrition is also a major public health problem associated with high intake of low-nutrient foods. Functional foods and nutraceuticals have gained interest due to their health benefits. Traditional Mexican pre-Hispanic foods like amaranth, nopal and mushrooms have been consumed as part of regular diets and could help address these nutritional challenges.

Objective

To evaluate the impact of partially replacing (50%) whole-wheat flour with three formulations of oyster mushroom, nopal and amaranth flours on the nutritional and antioxidant properties of functional cookies. The study aimed to fortify traditional cookies lacking nutraceutical compounds by incorporating culturally significant pre-Hispanic foods.

Results

Total protein, ash and flavonoids were higher in fortified cookies compared to controls. Cookies with the highest nopal level (F2) contained 5.29% dietary fiber and five times higher polyphenol content than control cookies. The ABTS radical scavenging ability was similar across enriched cookies (87.73-89.58%) and higher than traditional cookies (75.60%). Sensory evaluation showed good acceptability of fortified cookies, with F2 receiving the highest scores for all attributes.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated successful incorporation of oyster mushroom, nopal and amaranth flours to enhance nutritional value and antioxidant properties of cookies without compromising sensory qualities. The fortified cookies showed improved protein, fiber, mineral content and antioxidant activity compared to conventional wheat flour cookies. This research promotes sustainable use of local Mexican bioresources, especially edible mushrooms.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/jof7110911
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