The use of cricket powder in enriching bakery snack: protein digestibility, Maillard reaction products, and bioactive properties
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2025
Yazarlar: Doga Peksever, Sedef Nehir EL
International Journal of Food Science and Technology, Uluslararası, Wos, 2025, cilt 61
Özet
Abstract In this study, wheat flour in a snack bakery product was substituted with varying levels of Acheta domesticus (house cricket) powder, and the most acceptable product was determined through a preliminary consumer test. Protein hydrolysis, protein digestibility, Maillard reaction products (MRPs) (HMF, furfural, and acrylamide), and antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities (α-glucosidase and 15-LOX enzyme inhibition) were investigated with protocols simulating adult and older adult digestion conditions. Cricket powder improved the nutritional quality of the bakery snack while maintaining acceptable sensory scores up to 20% substitution. Protein hydrolysis increased with 10% enrichment, whereas total protein digestibility remained comparable across digestion models. Both thermal processing and digestion conditions promoted acrylamide and furfural formation, although acrylamide levels remained below the European Union benchmark (300 μg/kg). Enrichment enhanced 15-LOX inhibition and slightly improved α-glucosidase inhibition following older adult digestion. This is the first study to investigate the fate of MRPs and bioactive properties during in vitro digestion of insect-enriched bakery products. The findings highlight the cricket powder’s potential as a sustainable protein source for functional foods, while underlining the importance of mitigating digestion-induced thermal contaminants.