Physicochemical, pasting, and sensory characteristics of antioxidant dietary fiber gluten-free donut made from cantaloupe by-products

Gluten-free producers face significant technical and nutritional challenges, technological challenges due to lack of gluten. Cantaloupe by-products (CB) contain dietary fiber-associated phenolic compounds in different proportions. This study examined a new gluten-free donut (GFD) supplemented with antioxidant dietary fiber made from cantaloupe by-products (ADF-CB). Using response surface methodology (RSM), the effect of ADF-CB incorporation level (5–20 g/100 g rice flour) at particle sizes (PS) (75–500 μm) on pasting physicochemical and sensory properties of the experimental GFDs were investigated. The optimal conditions for producing high sensory scores to control were: 18 g/100 g rice flour at PS 438 µm (T4); 20 g/100 g rice flour at 288 µm (T1) and 13 g/100 g rice flour at 500 µm (T2). At these conditions, dietary fiber content increased by about fourfold higher than the control. Total phenolic content (TPC) increased by about ninefold higher than that of the control. Antioxidant properties exhibited as tested by IC50, which decrease by half-fold against the control. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay exhibited a significant increase by more than 8- folds higher than that of the control. Pasting properties values were increased as ADF-CB and PS increased except Setback viscosity (SBV). The use of ADF-CB with indicated PS to enhance the nutritional characteristics of GFD on an industrial scale as a health-promoting functional ingredient in gluten-free products.