Caralluma-enhanced bread: A novel approach to combat advanced glycation end products and metabolic syndrome-related enzymes

Wheat bread is a commonly consumed bakery item known for its high energy content. Nevertheless, bread produced from refined flour may lack in nutritional quality. To boost the nutritional profile of bread, various cereals, legumes, and medicinal herbs have been blended with wheat flour. This research aims to evaluate the overall polyphenol content (TPs), antioxidant potential, antiglycation characteristics, inhibition of enzymes linked to metabolic syndrome (such as α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase), and the sensory appeal of bread enhanced with caralluma extract powder (CEP). Different proportions of CEP (2%, 4%, and 6%) were substituted for wheat flour to create composite bread. The bread was prepared following a standard recipe, dried, and stored for subsequent analysis. TPs were quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant potential was gauged by measuring its ability to scavenge ABTS and DPPH radicals. The Bovine Serum Albumin-Glucose (BSA-Glu) assay was used to ascertain the impact on antiglycation. Additionally, in vitro examinations were conducted to measure the inhibitory effect of CEP-enriched bread on alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase. To determine the palatability of the bread samples among consumers, a 9-point hedonic scale was used for the evaluation. Statistical analysis involved ANOVA (One-way analysis of variance) followed by the LSD post-test to compare and analyze the outcomes of bread with different CEP levels against the control bread. Bread containing 2%, 4%, and 6% CEP showed significantly higher levels of TPs (147.15 mg GAE/100g) and antioxidant capacity (ABTS 132.81 µmol TE/100g, DPPH 172.36 µmol TE/100g) compared to the control bread. CEP-enriched bread also exhibited significantly stronger inhibitory effects (p<0.05) against the formation of advanced glycation end products (20.46%-32.24%) compared to the control (10.18%). Inhibitory effects on metabolic enzymes—α-amylase (6.26%-17.24%), α-glucosidase (10.26%-22.24%), and pancreatic lipase (8.26%-19.24%)—increased significantly with higher levels of CEP in the bread. Sensory analysis indicated that all CEP-incorporated bread samples received an acceptable score (≥ 6), suggesting their palatability. In conclusion, bread enriched with CEP displayed significantly improved phytochemical properties at all incorporation levels, as well as substantial inhibition of advanced glycation end products and metabolic syndrome-related enzymes. Further research should investigate the effects of maximum CEP incorporation in bread.