Development of antioxidant‐rich curd fortified with encapsulated beetroot (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) peel extract powder

Abstract A curd with enhanced antioxidants was developed adding nanoencapsulated Beetroot Peel Extract Powder (BPEM) @ 1.0 % w/v of milk. Beetroot peel extract‐based powder was produced by the spray drying technique using maltodextrin and guar gum as coating agents. The prepared samples were tested for sensory characteristics, textural properties, antioxidant content, and proximate characteristics. The results show that the sensorial characteristics of the fortified curd were improved as compared to the control one. The incorporation of nanoencapsulated BPEM resulted in a softer and more delicate texture of the fortified curd (Hardness [N]: 195 ± 10.6) as compared to control (Hardness [N]: 335 ± 3.53). The physicochemical properties of antioxidant‐enhanced curd resulted in 87.4 ± 0.7% moisture, 2.2 ± 0.35% fat, 4.76 ± 0.04% protein, 14.6 ± 0.35% total solids, and 6.59 ± 0.10% carbohydrate. Furthermore, the addition of beetroot peel extract‐based powder showed a higher antioxidant (76.6 ± 0.72% DPPH inhibition) and phenolic content (85.7 ± 0.25 μg Gallic acid equivalent [GAE]/mL) in the developed curd as compared to the control (54 ± 0.66% DPPH inhibition and 59.9 ± 0.75 μg GAE/mL total phenolic content).