Effect of Mulberry Powder Addition on the Quality and Antioxidant Capacity of Steamed Bread

This study investigated the effects of replacing flour with different proportions of mulberry fruit powder on the quality and antioxidant properties of steamed bread, with the goal of preparing steamed bread with high nutritional value and expanding the utilization of mulberries. The impact of varying amounts of mulberry powder on the color difference, texture, microstructure, and antioxidant effects of fermented dough and steamed bread was measured, and the correlation between dough characteristics and steamed bread quality was also analyzed. The results showed that as the amount of mulberry fruit powder increased, the dough's elasticity, L* value (lightness), b* value (yellowness), and w value (whiteness) significantly decreased, while the a* value (redness) increased. Changes in gluten protein structure led to a significant decrease in the specific volume of mulberry steamed bread and an increase in hardness, resulting in a decline in steamed bread quality. The moisture content, elasticity, and chewiness of the steamed bread initially increased and then decreased. Correlation analysis between the dough and steamed bread results revealed significant (P<0.05) or highly significant (P<0.01) correlations. Additionally, as the mulberry fruit powder content increased from 0% to 5%, the antioxidant properties were significantly enhanced. The DPPH free radical scavenging ability of mulberry steamed bread increased from 39.05% to 76.28%, an improvement of 37.23%. The reducing power increased by 282.5%, and the ABTS scavenging ability increased by 35.94%. In conclusion, the addition of mulberry fruit powder affects the processing performance of the dough and the quality of the steamed bread, with a significant correlation between mulberry steamed bread and texture indicators. Without formula optimization, steamed bread with 4% mulberry fruit powder exhibited the best quality.