Characterization of physicochemical, antioxidants and sensory properties of cookies enriched with shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) fruit pulp as a functional ingredient

Abstract The shea fruit pulp (SFP), a by-product generated during the processing of shea fruit, is a vital source of phytochemicals for the development of functional foods. This study determined the effect of partial substitution of wheat flour with SFP (0–25%) on the physicochemical, total carotenoids (TC), total phenolics content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), and sensory properties of cookies. The bromatological analysis showed that crude fiber, fat, and total ash contents of the SFP-enriched cookies increased by 155.3-565.8%, 1.7–6.8%, and 22.2-111.3%, respectively while moisture, crude protein, and available carbohydrate contents decreased by 10.0-44.9%, 3.1–17.5%, and 1.0-2.9%, respectively with increasing addition of SFP in the cookies. The SFP-enriched cookies had significantly higher TC (183.25-627.49 µg/100 g) and TPC (79.06–185.20 mg GAE/100 g) and AA (28.20-61.58%, inhibition) than the 100% wheat flour cookies, control (2.90 ± 0.14 µg/100 g for TC, 53.81 ± 5.70 mg GAE/100 g for TPC, and 15.79 ± 1.03% for AA). The incorporation of SFP in cookies decreases the thickness and whiteness index by 3.9–24.0% and 4.5–26.9%, respectively, but increases the spread ratio by 5.5–37.9% and the browning index by 10.3–87.4% as compared with the control cookies. Based on the sensory evaluation results, the 25% SFP-enriched cookie had the highest scores for taste, aroma, and texture whiles the 15% SFP-enriched cookie had the best rating for color and overall acceptability. It is conclusive that SFP could be utilized for the industrial production of cookies to enhance the nutritional, antioxidant, and sensory properties of the baked product. Nonetheless, enzymatic browning of the shea fruit pulp is a major limitation, and therefore, rapid processing of fruits and cold storage of the SFP is required to prevent the browning reactions of the SFP. Graphical Abstract