Sacha Inchi ( <i>Plukenetia volubilis</i> ) Protein‐Enriched Bread: Protein Quality, Breadmaking Properties, Textural Profile, and Bioactivity

The partial substitution of wheat flour with plant-based proteins in bread production has garnered increasing attention due to its potential to enhance the nutritional value of bread, meeting consumer demands for novel functional foods. This study evaluated the inclusion of three different alkaline sacha inchi (SI) protein extracts (SI11-pH 11 extraction; usSI11-ultrasound-assisted protein extraction at pH 11; and SI11h-pH 11 extraction at 90°C) to improve the protein quality of traditional wheat bread. The assessment encompassed the dough rheology (Mixolab profile), baking performance, bread protein quality (amino acid profile, in vitro protein digestibility, and PDCAAS), physicochemical attributes (texture profile and color), and bioactivity (in vitro cytotoxicity). Incorporating SI protein resulted in breads that exhibited enhanced protein quality, with protein content and PDCAAS increases of up to 26.4% and 10%, respectively. Notably, the dough rheology, baking performance, and physicochemical attributes of protein-enriched breads did not exhibit significant differences compared to the control wheat bread. In addition, the SI-enriched breads demonstrated to be non-toxic to healthy colon cells (FHC line) and reduced viability of adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2 line). This study underscores the feasibility of utilizing alkaline-extracted SI protein to produce nutritionally enriched bread while addressing satisfactory baking and physicochemical attributes.