Development of Cakes Enriched with Abelmoschus esculentus and Hymenaea spp. Flour from the Baturité Massi

¹Braga,A.L.C.; ²Oliveira,L.L.S.; ³Moreira,P.X.; ⁴Bandeira,T.C.; ⁵Mendonça,L.G
¹Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-brasileira, Ceará, Brasil,
[email protected]
²Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-brasileira, Ceará, Brasil,
[email protected]
³Universidade Federal do Ceará, Ceará, Brasil, [email protected]
⁴Universidade Federal do Ceará, Ceará, Brasil, [email protected]
⁵Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-brasileira, Ceará, Ceará
[email protected]
The development of new food products through the full use of plant materials contributes to the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 8, 9, and 12). In this context, the full
use of plant materials is an alternative for adding nutritional value to bakery products. Okra
(Abelmoschus esculentus) and jatobá (Hymenaea spp.) have a nutritional composition rich in
soluble and insoluble fiber, which may increase satiety after consumption of these products.
Therefore, this study aimed to develop nutritionally enriched cakes by adding okra flour and
jatobá fiber, in two flavors: chocolate and vanilla. The following ingredients were used: 28.1%
wheat flour, 21% milk, 14.7% oil, 2 eggs, 1.1% baking powder, 0.4% okra flour, and 0.16%
jatobá fiber. For the chocolate batter, 8.1% 100% cocoa powder was added, while 1.0% vanilla
essence was used in the vanilla batter. The following analyses were then performed: moisture,
pH, color, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In the moisture analysis, okra
had an average value of 7.33%, while okra flour had a value of 10.71%; the value for jatobá was
not specified. For pH, the control sample had a value of 5.80, the cocoa batter had a value of
6.10, and the vanilla batter had a value of 5.97. Colorimetric analysis revealed differences
among the formulations. The control cupcake showed the highest lightness (L* = 32.88),
followed by the vanilla formulation (L* = 23.00), while the 15% substitution formulation
presented the lowest lightness (L* = 3.34) and color intensity (C* = 7.09). These results indicate
changes in the color profile of the samples, and statistical analysis is required to determine the
significance of these differences.. Based on the results, the addition of both flours did not cause technological damage to the products, and their addition may improve the nutritional value of
bakery products. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed different absorption
bands across the analyzed spectral range, with more pronounced changes in the regions from
approximately 900 to 1750 cm⁻¹. These changes may indicate the presence of different
chemical groups characteristic of the organic constituents used, highlighting the complexity of
the sample composition and the interactions among the components. Thus, the combined use
of okra flour and jatobá fiber appears to be a promising alternative for developing protein-rich
foods for the food industry.