Investigation of Quality Criteria and Antioxidant Capacity of Ice Cream Enriched with Chlorella vulgaris

Microalgae stand out due to their essential compound content and rich nutritional profile, as well as their ease of production and environmentally friendly nature. C. vulgaris, one of the popular microalgae, offers various important health benefits, including antioxidant, antitumor, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic properties, thanks to its protein content and bioactive compounds. In this context, the effect of using C. vulgaris in different proportions in ice cream formulation on physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity was investigated in the current study. In this context, the current study investigated the effects of C. vulgaris added at different concentrations to an ice cream formulation containing 1.5% stevia instead of sugar, on the quality criteria and functional properties of the ice cream. Adding 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% C. vulgaris to ice cream samples was found to cause very significant differences in fat, protein, pH, first dripping time, complete melting time, overrun, DPPH free radical scavenging activity IC50 values, ABTS radical scavenging activity IC50 values, and TPC values. The inclusion of C. vulgaris in diabetic ice cream production has been found to have positive effects on quality criteria and antioxidant capacity. Consequently, it is believed that further detailed studies will provide a new perspective to the dairy industry in order to offer a healthier and more functional product.