Functional low-glycemic ice cream with coconut milk, tiger nut milk, and orange peel powder: Lipid profile modulation in high-fat diet-fed rats

The article introduces a novel low-glycemic-index ice cream targeted at improving the lipid profile and managing oxidative stress. Conventional dairy components were replaced with non-dairy natural sources, i.e., coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) and tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.). The research focused on the effect of this substitution on the sensory, glycemic, and hypocholesterolemic properties of the functional ice cream. The experimental formulations combined dairy components (whipping cream, skimmed milk), coconut milk, tiger nut milk, and orange (Citrus × sinensis (L.) Osbeck) peel powder. The samples were evaluated for their glycemic index, total phenolics, total flavonoids, amylose, and amylopectin contents. The developed formulations were fed to high-fat diet-fed rats for 21 days to assess their lipid profile, as well as the levels of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species. The rats fed the ice cream formulated with coconut milk, tiger nut milk, and orange peel powder demonstrated lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was increased. Higher concentrations of coconut milk, tiger nut milk, and orange peel powder correlated with reduced malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels in the rat plasma. They were also associated with a lower glycemic index whereas the phenolic content and amylose-to-amylopectin ratio were significantly higher. The partial or total replacement of dairy components with coconut milk and tiger nut milk combined with orange peel powder produced ice creams with acceptable sensory properties, a reduced glycemic index, and improved hypocholesterolemic properties.