Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Investigating the effect of adding microgreen rice powder and transglutaminase enzyme treatment on nutritional value and color characteristics of sponge cake

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Faculty member
2 Department of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran
10.48311/fsct.2026.117775.82942
Abstract
Enriching sponge cake with microgreens can significantly increase its nutritional value by raising the concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive phytochemicals, thereby transforming a widely consumed confectionery into a functional food with potential benefits for general health and adequate micronutrient supply. This study investigated the effect of adding rice microgreen powder (RMP) at four levels (0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5% w/w, as a replacement for wheat flour) and transglutaminase (TG) enzyme at two levels (0 and 0.15%) on the composition and color characteristics of sponge cake. Results showed that RMP significantly increased moisture, ash, and total fiber (P <0.001), while TG increased only moisture (P <0.01), contributing to improved texture. Color analysis indicated that RMP reduced all three color parameters (L*, a*, and b*), whereas TG only had a significant effect on brightness, and increased the L* values of both the crumb and the crust (P <0.05). Overall, based on crust color, there was no significant difference between the sample containing 2.5% RMP (with or without TG) and the control; moreover, all RMP-enriched samples exhibited acceptable color quality. Therefore, using RMP at levels of 5–7.5% is recommended for enriching sponge cake.
Keywords
Subjects

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