Bioactive, Functional, and Technological Properties of Gluten-Free Pasta Enriched with Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Leaf Powder

Mango (<i>Mangifera indica</i> L.) leaves represent an underutilised plant resource rich in phenolic compounds and dietary fibre with potential applications in functional foods. This study evaluated the effects of incorporating mango leaf powder (MLP) from five cultivars (Nam Dok Maï, Julie, DLO, Irwin, and Keitt) into gluten-free chestnut flour-based pasta, focusing on techno-functional, rheological, and bioactive properties. Among the formulations tested, Nam Dok Mai and Julie cultivars at 10% substitution demonstrated the most favourable pasting behaviour and were selected for spaghetti production. Both variants exhibited acceptable texture and cooking quality; however, Nam Dok Mai spaghetti showed superior colour stability after cooking and storage. Although Julie exhibited higher setback viscosity, which indicates greater starch retrogradation potential, cutting force measurements showed no significant differences between cultivars. Antioxidant analyses (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) and total polyphenol content revealed that Nam Dok Mai retained a higher level of bioactive compounds following thermal processing, particularly in aqueous extracts. These findings indicate that mango leaf incorporation can enhance the functional value of gluten-free pasta without compromising technological quality, and that Nam Dok Mai represents the most promising cultivar for such applications.