Could a muffin be the next functional food?

Imagine sinking your teeth into a tender muffin that tastes good and is chock full of vitamins, antioxidants and other natural ingredients that are good for your health, too. Researchers are testing possible varieties.

This super muffin has been named Roselle, because it contains calyx extract from the tropical plant Hibiscus sabdariffa, often referred to by the same name.

Calyx extract from the hibiscus flowers contains many bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, betaine and hibiscus acid, all of which can be used to develop functional products that may offer positive health effects. The study also shows that Roselle muffins maintain freshness for up to six days at room temperature.

The study is part of Re-FOOD, a Norwegian–Indian collaborative project that focuses on using and enhancing the value of raw materials of food processing.

Professor Nutan Kaushik at Amity University in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, points out the health benefits of antioxidants, especially when it comes to neutralising free radicals, which can be an important contributing factor to serious illnesses.

Roselle is also rich in anthocyanins, a dye that can be dissolved in water and yields a red, pink, purple, blue, blue-violet or violet colour. The colour of food influences how appetising it appears. While artificial dyes are often clearer and more intense than natural ones, the demand for natural dyes is increasing because of health concerns surrounding artificial dyes.

The muffin study saw 30 people testing a total of 17 recipe variants, with the aim of finding the best version of the muffins relative to three important qualities:

• taste and texture that people like
• nutritional properties
• best possible shelf life without preservatives.

The researchers surveyed the test subjects’ response to the pastry’s colour, appearance, aroma, texture, fluffiness, elasticity, freshness and chewing resistance using the Response Surface Methodology. This modelled and analysed how the test subject’s reactions were affected by various factors, with the aim of achieving the most positive response to what is tested.

In terms of nutrition, the results suggested that the hibiscus extract provides muffins with high levels of antioxidants like phenolics, which are substances believed to be able to prevent processes in the body that can damage cell membranes or genetic materials in cells. There are several thousand different phenols, most of which are found in fruit, juice, wine, cocoa, tea, coffee, vegetables, flax seed, whole grains and legumes.

While the Roselle calyx extract provides health benefits, the muffin research is primarily good news for those who already enjoy muffins, because the batter contains sugar, saturated fat and white flour.

Eva Falch, associate professor at NTNU’s Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, and a co-author on the study, doubts that Roselle would be able to be classified as healthy in Norway.

“Roselle calyx extract is an underutilised resource, and the study primarily shows the potential of the plant extract. The researchers use the muffin as a model to say something about how ingredients and steps in the manufacturing process affect and change the properties of the final product,” Falch said.

Classifications and health recommendations, as well as taste and food culture, vary between countries.

“In food cultures where baked goods like this are part of the daily diet, Roselle muffins can contribute to increased nutritional value. To make a healthy version, the whole composition should be as good as possible, with little sugar, salt, saturated fat and so on,” Falch said.

Another factor the researchers tested was the shelf life of the muffins. When dry and semi-dry baked goods such as biscuits are left for too long, they deteriorate both physically and chemically. As muffins contain a higher moisture content, they are more vulnerable to bacteria, fermentation and mould. Mould and mould spores are destroyed by heat during baking, but as soon as the muffins are out of the oven, they are exposed to airborne mould spores.

The ascorbic acid that Roselle muffins contain contributes to increased shelf life, keeping well for up to six days in the study. Ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C, also has benefits for humans.

The next step in testing this ingredient could be testing in products with a better nutritional profile, such as whole grain products.

“Next, we plan to study the health benefits on animal models and launch a startup company,” Kaushik said.

Image credit: iStock.com/grandriver