Antioxidant potential of extruded snacks enriched with hyper-protein quinoa flour and vegetable extracts

To account for the global trend towards a healthier diet, in recent years the snack market has grown substantially, with a demand for products that are more beneficial to consumers' health. Extruded snacks from a mixture of cereals, quinoa, and corn, with and without the addition of vegetables were used. Snacks made from a mixture of rice flour and quinoa high protein flour (HHP) supplied by SEGALCO S.A.S., (Popayán, Colombia) were studied. Thus, the use of sources of phenolic compounds such as Beet, Broccoli, Avocado, and Spinach, combined with sources of protein such as quinoa, can increase the nutritional quality of snack products. A combination of cereals and vegetables can produce nutrient-rich products. In this paper, phenolic compounds (given in mg AGE/g sample d.b.) and antioxidant capacity were determined using ABTS•+, DPPH and FRAP (in mg AEAC /g sample d.b.). The highest content of phenolic compounds was found in Spinach 4% and HHP snacks (5.7 ± 0.3 and 3.5 ± 0.2 AGE/g sample d.b., respectively). Kale (2%) and Beet (4%) snacks showed a significant increase in antioxidant capacity using the ABTS•+ method. The antioxidant capacity determined using the DPPH method increased significantly in snacks made from Beet (4%), Broccoli (4%), Avocado (4%), and Spinach (4%). Using FRAP, the antioxidant capacity showed a significant increase in Kale snacks (2%) and a significant decrease in Spinach snacks (4%). In conclusion, snacks with an elevated antioxidant potential can be produced from vegetables such as kale, which can be an alternative for the food industry to develop healthier products and satisfy market trends.