Exploring the impact of pumpkin and sweet potato enrichment on the nutritional profile and antioxidant capacity of noodles

Sweet potato and pumpkin are abundant in β-carotene, fiber, and essential minerals. The use of pumpkin and sweet potato with wheat flour to prepare noodles may increase their nutritional value and provide several health benefits. The purpose of the study was to develop pumpkin, sweet potato, and wheat composite flour noodles with improved nutritional and sensory qualities. All of the quality parameters like nutritional value, water activity, color intensity, β-carotene content, antioxidant capacity, and sensory characteristics were analyzed according to the standard procedures. The addition of pumpkin and sweet potato flour to prepared noodles significantly (p < 0.05) increased the β-carotene (18.30–713.99 μg/100 g), protein (8.75–14.75 g/100 g), crude fiber (0.38–3.84 g/100 g), and minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, and zinc contents. In addition, the DPPH scavenging activity, phenolic and flavonoid content of the noodles were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of the control noodles. On the contrary, the noodles redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) increased and their lightness (L*) decreased as the incorporation of sweet potato and pumpkin increased. However, sensory assessment results suggested that noodles containing 15 % pumpkin, 10 % sweet potato, and 75 % wheat composite flour were more appealing than other developed noodles. Newly developed noodles will play a crucial role in increasing nutritional diversity and reducing food insecurity among low-income families.