Wheat bran modification treatments for enhancing the quality and nutritional profile of traditional cookies

Abstract To address the poor functionality and quality of wheat bran-added cookies the present research explores raw wheat bran (RWB), NaOH treated wheat bran (NaOH-WB), and wet-refined wheat bran (WR-WB) to supplement traditional cookies (CL). The microscopic (SEM), crystallographic (XRD) and functional group analysis (FTIR) of bran samples showed a significant effect of modification. The cookies (with 5%, 10%, and 15% of each bran) quality evaluation based on spread factor, hardness, and sensory, further judged by PCA, showed that upto 10% addition of the wheat bran produced acceptable cookies. Further evaluation of the 10% bran-added cookies showed increased baking weight loss, degraded color properties except for the NaOH-WB cookies, increased moisture, and no change in water activity. The maximum protein observed for RWB cookies, fat for RWB and WR-WB cookies, ash for WR-WB cookies, total dietary fiber for NaOH-WB and WR-WB cookies, available carbohydrate for CL cookies, energy content for CL and RWB cookies, total phenolic content and DPPH activity for WR-WB cookies. The in vitro digestion showed a slowed glucose release rate for NaOH-WB and WR-WB cookies. It was concluded that WR-WB has good scope for use in cookie preparation (maximum at 10% level) with improved physiological, nutritional, and antioxidant properties. Graphical abstract